Shattered
by Hana Sanyi Kaze
Summary: CH 15 After Naraku's defeat, the Shikon Jewel is completed, forcing Kagome back to her own time. Desperate to get Kagome back, Inuyasha makes a wish using the jewel, which reincarnates him as a human in Kagome's era. What happens if they meet 6 years late
1. Shattered: Chapter 1

_**Summary: This story takes place six years after Naraku's defeat, and the err… putting together of the Shikon Jewel. Right after Naraku was killed, the Shikon Jewel was completed, and once this happened, Kagome was sent home against her will, seeing that she had no purpose in the feudal era any longer. Desperate to get Kagome back, Inuyasha made a wish using the Shikon Jewel which he never expected to make. This wish ultimately caused him to be reincarnated in Kagome's world as a human, while his soul slept soundly within this human reincarnation, waiting to be awakened by someone cough Kagome cough. Now six years later… Kagome is a college student living in the city, and she is about to run into an old friend :)**_

_**- Shattered -**_

_**- Chapter 1 -**_

Kagome stared absently out her apartment window at the raging city beneath her. She sighed, almost depressingly as she thought of her old quiet home in the shrine. Even though it had been six years, she still missed it, and still wanted to live there more than any other place in the world.

"Just… too many memories," she mumbled to herself, still staring absently out the window.

It was six years ago when Inuyasha had finally defeated Naraku, and put together the final shards of the shikon jewel.

It was six years ago when Kagome's purpose in the feudal era had ceased, and she was forced to return home.

It was five years ago, when Kagome's home was bought out by the government, and torn down, forcing her entire family to move into the city.

Kagome was crushed at that time. Her only means of ever seeing her friends again – her only means of seeing Inuyasha, had been bulldozed right in front of her eyes. Of course, Kagome would never show her pain. She pretended everything was ok, and forced herself to continue smiling in the presence of her family. Her mother insisted moving into the city would be a nice change for everyone, and would make college a much more convenient option for Kagome. Always wanting to be the good daughter, Kagome agreed with her mother, only to see her happy.

And now, here she was, Kagome Higurashi; a twenty one year old college student who appeared to have everything from the outside. She was smart, attractive, friendly, hard working, capable, and apparently well balanced. But what the rest of the world didn't see was Kagome's inner battle, tearing her up from within. Inside, she was shattered.

Her life had become nothing but a boring routine. Wake up every morning, go to class, come home, work, study, get minimal sleeping hours, and wake up the next morning only to repeat the previous cycle. Although most people never saw anything wrong with Kagome, some of her closer friends were beginning to see the evident changes in the once energetic girl's personality. They always told her she didn't go out enough, and that she needed to have more fun. Kagome insisted she was simply focused on her studies.

"But Kagome, just look at you! You're a ghost of what you used to be… I mean you've lost so much weight, you barely eat anything… you're face is practically gray all the time with those awful rings around your eyes, and you never laugh or smile or joke anymore! You don't even look at the opposite sex!" they would all say.

Of course, this only frustrated Kagome, as she had grown tired of reassuring them everything was fine. Evidently, it wasn't. It was lie even she couldn't pull off anymore. Then again, Kagome was never really all that good at lying to her friends anyways.

Even Hojo, who had conveniently managed to end up in the same college as Kagome, was worried. He constantly asked her if she was getting sick again, like she used to in high school, and brought her herbal teas and all sorts of weird, apparently natural remedies for her grievances. Kagome would only smile and thank him politely, throwing out the medications once she reached home.

The college student's brain registered the sound of her lock clicking, as she unconsciously turned the key, locking her front door. Her mother and Souta still slept soundly while Kagome left the apartment early to catch the bus to school every weekday morning. The journey was about two hours, including the bus ride, and the five-mile hike to the college - not to mention a lot of walking through the campus itself. Sometimes Kagome wanted to be irresponsible, and simply not care, having the will to skip her classes and just fail. They said that in Japan, if you were a university student and slept for more than three hours, you would flunk out. Well, that's what her high school teachers told her anyway. Being somewhat of a perfectionist, Kagome couldn't even fathom the idea of failing, so every morning she'd drag herself out of bed like this, and make her way down the street towards the bus stop.

When she got on the bus, she usually had to stand, since every single bus and subway car was always crammed full of people. Even if she did find a seat, Kagome usually felt the need to give it up to an elderly person, or a young woman with her baby.

After an hour and a half on the bus, Kagome would get off and walk the rest of the way, passing a messy construction site each time. Occasionally, a construction worker or two would whistle at her from the high metal beams above, but the girl never paid them any attention. They used to make her blush and look away, but now she'd only sigh, look down at her feet and keep walking.

But today was different. The sun was only beginning to rise, and for the first time in what seemed like weeks, the sky was clear. Kagome's mood lifted a little when she saw this. She hated cloudy days, especially when it rained. A smile tugged on the young woman's lips. '_Let's try and make the best of it.' _She thought to herself, not wanting to waste the good weather.

Finally reaching the annoying construction site, which seemed to have been there for an eternity, Kagome could hear drilling followed by men shouting. It was always loud and obnoxious, but at least this time they weren't whistling at her shamelessly. Kagome kept walking without sparing a glance, despite the loud crashing sounds that came from above her. More drilling sounded, followed by more yelling, this time louder.

"HOLY SHIT!! LADY WATCH OUT!!" came the warning from one of the men working on the metal beams above.

Kagome stopped to glance in the direction of the warning, but what she saw had her frozen to the ground.

A large chunk of something, presumable metal, was falling, and it was going to fall right onto Kagome. Not being very reflexive, the young woman closed her eyes and averted her gaze, expecting to be hit by the large piece of construction work within the next millisecond, and be crushed to her death.

At that moment, Kagome was hit full-force by something hard… only it wasn't where she expected. Instead of coming from above the force came from her side, throwing her out of the large metal object's path.

Kagome let out a strangled cry as she felt her small frame crash into a puddle of mud near the construction site, covering her in the brown viscous liquid. (Not too pleasant smelling either.) Her eyes were closed and her teeth were clenched, not knowing whether to be happy, angry, or embarrassed. She knew her new coat was covered in mud, as was her freshly washed hair and face. Not only that, she was late for class, which in a Japanese college student's world, meant falling about three decades behind.

"Hey, you better watch where you're going lady - construction sites aren't exactly playgrounds you know," a gruff and familiarly rude voice lectured from above her.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes and looked up, squinting. The sun was directly behind the figure speaking to her, making it difficult to see his face – but judging from the toned shape of his body and the sound of his voice, he seemed to be quite young.

"And what the hell is this?" he asked, imitating Kagome's position when she attempted to shield herself from the incoming chunk of metal. "A little girl like you couldn't stop a thing like that… you would have been crushed!" he exclaimed, even more roughly this time.

Kagome wasn't quite sure what it was, but something about this guy was extremely familiar…. But right now wasn't the time for that. He was insulting her, and the continuous personal attacks were making the young woman's blood boil. What was she supposed to do? She was scared! Or maybe she didn't WANT to get out of the way!

"Hey, now you listen here…" she began, pointing an accusing finger at the towering figure in front of her. "I never asked for your help! You just… flew in out of nowhere and pushed me out of the way on your own accord! So don't lecture me as though I MADE you protect me!! I never asked for it!" she shot back angrily, her eyebrows furrowing as she furiously tried to make out the man's face.

"Feh," he grunted, "Whatever… you're alright though, aren't you?" he asked monotonously, stepping forward ever so slightly and looking to the side, his face finally out of the sun's angle.

At that moment, two things had registered in Kagome's mind. The first: he had just say 'feh,' something only one person she had ever known used to say. Second: What Kagome saw standing in front of her had her pulse stopping and her brain spinning in complete and utter confusion.

On a Monday morning in the twenty first century Tokyo, Japan, stood none other than Inuyasha himself in human form.

Kagome was frozen. She stared at him, expecting some kind of sign or evidence of recognition on his part, but it quickly became apparent that there was none.

The girl blinked as one last thought burned its way through her mind before she slipped out of consciousness:

_Inuyasha was a human construction worker in modern day Tokyo… and he had no idea who Kagome Higurashi was._

**_A/N: yayyyy first chappie is done! Now just for the record… this Inuyasha not knowing who Kagome is thing is only temporary. And no, he won't be human forever either… do not mourn the doggie ears just yet :) I promise I'll give them back. R&R PLZZ!!!_**


	2. Shattered: Chapter 2

_**A/N: aww thank you for all the wonderful reviews guys!! I really appreciate them and I'm sooo glad everyone's enjoying the story so far so KEEP EM COMIN!! j/k... Well here's chapter 2!! enjoy!!**_

_**- Shattered -**_

_**- Chapter 2 -**_

Yuki tapped her pen impatiently against the desk as she attempted to zone out the professor who droned on endlessly about something clearly unimportant to the college student. Sighing, she turned to Eri who seemed equally enthused by the lecture.

"Hey, has anyone seen Higurashi?" asked a VERY concerned Hojo, worry written all over his face.

"No, Hojo, for the third time none of us have seen Kagome today," Ayumi replied from Yuki's left side.

"But it's strange, don't you think?" he pressed on. "She always comes to class. I don't remember her ever missing a single one!"

"And that's exactly why it shouldn't be strange," Yuki interrupted. "The girl's been working herself to death, and I think she's in need of a break. Take it easy Hojo, it's just one day… I'm sure she's fine," she continued, waving her hand dismissively in the boy's face to emphasize her point.

Hojo was about to protest but stopped himself when he received the glare of silence from all three girls. Sighing, he looked down at his notes, unable to concentrate. He knew he worried too much, and missing one class for the first time in three years really wasn't such a big deal… but he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Something just didn't feel right.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Kagome stirred as she heard voices mumbling around her. They seemed to be coming from outside of her head, so she knew she wasn't dreaming, although she wished she had been. For a moment she couldn't even remember what had happened to her, but as her eyes focused on the ceiling above her, the memories came flooding back.

_'That's right… I was walking to school when that thing nearly fell onto my head and killed me… and then… Inuyasha… no it can't be… the guy was human… but it was Inuyasha!'_

Kagome quickly sat up, looking around in a desperate attempt to spot her savior. A nurse spotted her from the side of the room and approached the cot.

"How are you feeling dear? Does your head hurt?" she asked, gently placing a hand on Kagome's forehead to check for a fever.

"N-no, I'm fine," Kagome stammered, realizing she was in the hospital. "Umm, what happened? A-after I lost consciousness I mean… Did anyone see the guy with the long black hair? The one who saved me?" she asked desperately, hoping that maybe she had hallucinated the human Inuyasha.

The nurse gave her a puzzled look before replying. "Why yes, the gentleman that saved your life apparently… he said you collapsed after the accident, so he bought you here to get checked out. He left your bag over there," she said, referring to the visitor's chair by the window.

"W-where is he now?!" Kagome asked impulsively, leaning forward, her chocolate orbs the size of saucers.

"Well… he went home I presume. The accident was pretty bad, and there were quite a few injuries… so they called the construction off for the day," The nurse said, slightly taken aback by Kagome's attitude.

"Ahh… I'm sorry, but I really gotta get going… I'm already behind in my classes and- "

"Well you seem very err… energetic… but I'm afraid you've suffered a minor concussion – so we're going to have to keep you here for the day until the doctors give the ok for you to check yourself out," interrupted the older woman.

Kagome sighed. "Great."

Thankfully, she had been checked in at a rather early hour, making 'the whole day' not a very long time. By three the doctors had x-rayed and checked Kagome for any brain damage, which turned out to be rather non-existent, despite the concussion. Kagome scowled at the nurse that kept her in the whole day as she walked past the reception after checking herself out. However, there were more urgent things on Kagome's mind. Was it really Inuyasha that had saved her? The nurse had confirmed there was a young man with long black hair that had apparently rescued her, and checked her in.

To her left, Kagome noticed a group of rough-looking men that she recognized as construction workers, drinking coffee as they chattered about what she presumed to be the accident. One had a cast on his arm, and another had his nose severely taped and a black eye.

'_They must have been injured today,' _Kagome thought, before an idea sprang into her head.

She had never really liked construction workers, particularly because of the way they whistled at her almost every morning as she passed their work site. However, her need to know about Inuyasha was far more overpowering than her fear of awkward glances. Gathering her wits, Kagome gulped and stomping over to the group of burly men.

"E-excuse me…" she interrupted weakly.

The group of men stopped their chatter as they looked at her oddly.

"Somethin we can do for ya miss?" the one with the cast asked.

"Umm… yes… actually… I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find the umm… man that saved me this morning. He had umm, long black hair…" Kagome trailed off, the awkwardness of the situation catching up to her.

"OH uhh… yeah… well we cleared our schedule for today and sent everyone home, since the construction site's a mess," started the man with the cast. "But, you could always catch him at home… it's not like he's got anywhere better to go hehe."

The comment was followed by some gruff laughter.

"Here, hold on a sec," he said, scanning the nearby table for a piece of paper. Ripping off part of a newspaper, he took out a pen from his front breast pocket and began to write down an address in what was akin to chicken scratch before handing it over to Kagome.

"Um. Thank you very much," Kagome said quickly, bowing as she turned to leave.

"No prob bob!" The man yelled after her. Once again the comment was followed by gruff laughter.

Kagome face faulted. '_Some sense of humour these guys have…'_

Despite her splitting headache, Kagome knew she wouldn't sleep until she found out the truth. Examining the address, she realized this modern day Inuyasha lived in Tokyo's worst district. Cringing as she read the street name, she pictured herself being brutally raped and murdered over and over again, and then having her body dumped in some smelly ally. So what kept her motivated enough to get on that bus that led to the poorest and most criminal area in the entire city?

_'I'm sure Inuyasha will come and save me from the rapists…'_

_ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

He sighed in relief as he let himself crash down on the worn and torn couch that occupied most of the stingy old one bedroom apartment. Flicking the beer cap away with ease, he let the smooth liquid ooze down his throat. Eyeing the television lazily, the young man with long raven hair really didn't have the will or motivation to get up and turn the damn thing on. So instead, he decided to just stare at it. Will it to turn on. Turn. On.

God how he missed the remote.

"No use," he grumbled to himself. Leaning over, the young man searched the area for some junk food to munch on.

"Come on, I had to leave something lying around… bag of chips… anything… I never put stuff away!!" he yelled, wishing he hadn't eaten that last bag of Doritos. His stomach growled furiously, not allowing him to concentrate on anything.

"Damnit," he cursed to himself, hating this lifestyle. It had only been six months since he had started living this way, and he already couldn't take it. No education, no experience, and no etiquette. The top three things a guy needed to get himself a decent job in Tokyo. Shaking away his thoughts, he brought his attention back to the now almost empty beer bottle. It was his fourth.

"Wonder how that girl's doing…"

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Kagome walked briskly down the hallway, scanning the apartment numbers as she went. The entire place smelled vaguely of urine and dust, which was none too pleasant for her nostrils. She only prayed no one crazy stepped out of their apartment and kidnapped her, possibly holding her for ransom and then raping and killing her.

_'Shut up Kagome, nothing is going to happen to you! Even though… you had about twenty very dirty looking men give you funny looks on the way here… and even though… this Inuyasha may not really be Inuyasha but some crazy guy as well!! Oh stop it! He saved your life! He wouldn't hurt you now that he's already saved you!'_

Kagome continued to argue with herself as she flew down the hall.

_'Aha!! 500!! Finally… wait… 500… that's a little ironic. Oh, must be just coincidence.'_

Raising a delicate fist, the college student hesitated, but knocked softly on the door.

No reply.

Feeling slightly bolder this time, she knocked again, only louder. She heard a slight shuffle coming from inside and waited, assuming that whoever was inside was going to answer. When no one came, Kagome grew irritated, knowing there WAS someone inside who was deliberately NOT answering the door. Frustrated, Kagome let her impulses take over as she outright banged her fist against the old wooden door, feeling it shake with every pound.

"Alright!! I'm coming I'm coming!!" came the answer from inside. It sounded a lot like Inuyasha, causing Kagome's heart to skip a beat at the familiarity of his voice.

The door swung open almost violently as a topless human Inuyasha stepped into the doorway, smelling vaguely of cheap alcohol. His gaze was averted as he spoke in a somewhat slurred tone.

"Look, I told you I'll get you the rent money by the end of the week, but right now I- " he cut himself off as he looked up to meet Kagome's chocolate gaze.

"Oh…" he began. It's you…" he finished, recognition slowly dawning on him.

Kagome was breathless. It really was him. It really was Inuyasha! But why was he human? And why did he smell like really cheap beer? What was she thinking? That didn't matter right now. What mattered was that he was here, in front of her, and he was real!

"O-Oh my GOD. Inu- "

"Hey, hey, I know, I remember you, ok?" he crossed his arms across his chest defensively, just like Inuyasha always had in the past. "You're the girl I saved this morning, and you probably came to thank me right? Right. Well you're welcome. Just be more careful next time, or you'll be walking around with a flattened head for the next twenty years or so," he rambled on arrogantly, his eyes closed as he leaned against the doorway showing off his toned body – the same one she remembered Inuyasha having.

Kagome paused. '_No Inuyasha, you don't remember me.'_

The young man opened his eyes when the girl in front of him didn't respond.

"What?" he asked. "Is your head ok?"

Kagome gulped. She didn't know what to say or do at this point. He WAS Inuyasha, she was sure of that. Everything about him screamed his name. The way he talked, carried himself, his rude, yet subtly considerate attitude – it was all so Inuyasha in every way.

"Yes," she said curtly. "I'm fine, just a little lightheaded. It's just that I… wanted to thank you for earlier. Not many people would have put themselves at risk like that… and then gone to the hospital and everything."

He stared at her with a quirked eyebrow. "Well, first you yell at me and now you thank me. Whatever, don't worry about it. Just be more careful next time." He said more seriously, staring at the stranger in front of him intensely. For some reason, she didn't feel like much of a stranger to him. Truth be told, he wouldn't have jumped in and put himself at risk like that for just anyone - but for some reason… he did for _her. _

"So… I'll be… heading off now. Um, thanks again," Kagome said quietly, before turning to leave, a heavy feeling in her gut as she heard his door clank shut.

Kagome walked down the hall slowly, her head down as she struggled to absorb what had just occurred. A few moments passed before she heard a door behind her open and that familiar voice called out.

"Hey, hold on a sec!" he yelled after her, causing Kagome to spin around instantly. "You can't WALK home by yourself in a neighbourhood like this. You'll be pronounced dead by tomorrow morning, guaranteed."

Inuyasha. Always concerned for her well-being. She stared at him curiously. He was wearing a shirt now, and seemed to be slightly more awake and sober than he was when he had answered the door.

"So you're… walking me home?" she asked, already knowing it was what he intended to do.

"Guess I am," he whispered gruffly, whacking his door shut and locking it abruptly before walking down the hall to join Kagome.

She smiled then, still staring at him intently as her eyes softened, a dozen memories flooding back to her. This made him awkward, as he shuffled his feet and averted his gaze nervously.

"What??" he asked again, sounding annoyed.

Kagome couldn't help but giggle. "Nothing," she replied, shaking her head. "It's just nice of you… walking me home and everything."

This only seemed to make him even more awkward as he attempted to cover up the involuntary blush that rose to his cheeks.

"Feh, I'm only doing what any decent person should," he replied roughly, looking at anything but Kagome.

_'What the hell is it with this girl? Why does she make me feel so embarrassed? Damnit, you're acting like a twelve year old who just hit puberty – Get a hold of yourself!'_ 'Inuyasha' mentally lectured himself.

They walked in silence most of the way, both lost deep in their thoughts. Kagome noticed how both of them actually lived quite close to each other, but their destinations every morning – the construction site and the college - were both much further for the both of them, but still close to each other. In fact, if Kagome wasn't mistaken, she was positive that at some point Inuyasha must have been on the same bus as her. How did she never notice before?

"Do you take the 24B bus?" she asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Inuyasha managed, looking at her as though he had just been awoken from a dream. "Oh, uhh…yeah. Every morning. Why?"

Kagome smiled. "I take that bus every morning too. It's just strange… I never noticed you before."

He looked away again. "Is there something to notice?" he asked. The question was meant to be slightly sarcastic and flirtatious, but sounded as though he had felt insulted – like when people would comment on him being a half demon back in the feudal era, with his strange appearance.

"Oh, no! Not at all! I mean, not in a bad way, if that's what you were getting at…" Kagome started, afraid she had said something wrong. Normally Kagome would never back down from a challenge, which usually led to her bickering with Inuyasha. However, this time she really didn't want to push him away. She was tired of fighting. Very, very tired.

"Relax, I know what you meant," he said irritably, cutting her off. "I just haven't really been around here for very long. That's probably why you never saw me," he explained.

This last statement caught Kagome's attention. "Really? Where did you come from then?" she asked, desperately trying to make sense of the strange situation before her. Although this guy seemed to be Inuyasha, he certainly didn't seem to think so himself. But now he was saying he hadn't been around 'here' for very long? Where had he been then?

"It doesn't matter, does it," he mumbled quietly to himself, staring absently across the street.

Kagome felt her left eye twitch. "You're not going to tell me, are you?" she asked, annoyance evident in her voice.

He turned back to look at her for the first time in a while. "I would if I could," he said honestly.

Kagome blinked in confusion, her lips pursed into a thin line. "Would if you- Oh! We're here." She exclaimed, recognizing her apartment building. "Well, this is where I live."

"Wow, nice place," 'Inuyasha' commented, hypnotized as he stared up at the twenty-one story building.

"Yeah, but it's nothing compared to where I used to live – the old shrine that is."

She said this carefully, watching Inuyasha's expression. His eyes quickly darted to her face as she said the word 'shrine,' something similar to recognition crossing his features. He seemed conflicted, but said nothing.

"And uhh, my name's Kagome by the way… Kagome Higurashi," she dragged on, making sure to place emphasis on her name with the hope that it would possibly bring back some sort of memory of her to him.

"…Nice to meet you… Kagome," he said with equal slowness, his facial expression still the same.

_'Nope. He probably just thinks I'm crazy now,' _She thought as she watched him turn and start walking away. Sighing with disappointment, she too turned ready to go inside, when something crucial dawned upon her. Spinning like a top, Kagome turned back in 'Inuyasha's' direction, yelling after his retreating form,

"Hey!! I didn't catch your name!!"

He stopped in his tracks, pausing momentarily as though he was thinking up a reply. He said nothing, and appeared as though he'd just continue walking away. However, before doing so, he turned his head, giving Kagome a sideways glance and his signature smirk as he replied,

"I never gave it."

_**A/N: Well I hope you guys enjoyed and don't forget to give me feedback!! Your input is really important to me and keeps me motivated to write more, so please review!! Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it :D Love you all.  
**_


	3. Shattered: Chapter 3

_**A/N: Thanks for all the awesome review again!! Here's chapter 3! Enjoy!!**_

_**- Shattered -**_

_**- Chapter 3 -**_

Kagome sighed as she shut the apartment door behind her, trying her hardest not to think about the day's events.

"You're home quite late, dear," her mother called out from the kitchen as she washed the dishes.

"Umm, yeah I had to stay at the college a little longer and help the girls out with some studying," Kagome lied, hoping her mother would continue to believe in her 'good girl' ways.

"Yeeahh, right… or you were with that Hobo guy," Souta chimed from his spot on the couch. He always seemed to like making Kagome's day as difficult as possible, particularly by constantly pestering her about her love life. Of course, Souta knew his sister had no feelings for Hojo, but he couldn't help teasing her about it anyway, just because everyone knew how taken the poor boy was with Kagome.

"It's Hojo, and no I didn't see him at all today as a matter of fact. There's nothing going on between us, and you know there never will be," the already exhausted girl retorted. She really wasn't in the mood for this, especially after today.

"Oh well that's too bad," her mother commented. "He really seems like a nice boy, always bringing you presents."

Kagome sighed, exasperated. "He brings me herbal teas and all sorts of strange plant roots that are supposed to make me feel better every time I break a nail. To tell you the truth, he kind of reminds me of grandpa – with all his superstitions and everything."

Kagome's mother laughed heartily. "Now now, I'll have you know that your grandpa's superstitions have come in very handy, sealing away demons – Oh, in fact… I believe he even exorcised one from our neighbour's son when I was a little girl. It was quite fascinating."

"Noooo thank you!" her daughter smiled. "I think one grandpa is enough for this household."

"Speaking of superstitious old men…" Souta yawned, "Where is the old coot anyways?"

Kagome shook her head at her brother's antics. "Probably hanging up seals and charms all around the apartment like he usually does," she sighed. "Anyway, I better get to work. I'm already really behind in my classes."

Her mother paused momentarily from her house cleaning. "Behind? But Kagome, you've never missed a class."

"Yeah mom, that's what she WANTS you to think… but secretly you know she's out with some badass guy, drinking beer and smoking po – "

"SOUTA!!!"

The teen winced at the sound of his sister's shrieking voice before adding apologetically,

"I'm KIDDING!"

Kagome bristled like a cat before stomping off towards her bedroom, which she unfortunately shared with her brother, drastically reducing the privacy.

"YEESH," Souta exhaled. "What crawled up her ass and died?"

"Souta! Language!" his mother scolded. "You know Kagome is having a rough time at school. College is a very difficult place to be, and not many people make it – and I certainly hope to see you working as hard as your sister one of these days!"

The boy on the couch rolled his eyes. "Damn girl needs to get laid," he muttered under his breath, making sure his mother didn't hear.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

As much as Kagome tried to concentrate on her studies, it really just wasn't working. Her mind wouldn't stop straying to a certain young man with absurdly long hair and an attitude that would rival her brother's.

'_Maybe that's where Souta got it from,'_ she thought to herself, remembering how much the boy used to admire Inuyasha.

"Hey sis, have you seen my favourite boxers around? I think Buyo might have dragged them out of the laundry bin and eaten them by mistake, but I'm not sure," Souta asked absently as he barged into their shared bedroom.

When Kagome didn't reply, the teen turned to her, eyeing his sister suspiciously.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked seriously. "You're not really being yourself today… is everything alright?"

"Souta… if I told you that I saw Inuyasha… what would you say?" she asked, hardly caring what he thought of her mental state at this point.

Souta blinked, not quite sure what his deranged sister was getting at. "I'd say that was really cool, if it were possible – but I really don't think it is sis… hey are you SURE you're ok? Maybe you should take a break from all these books, they're starting to make you a little nutsy I think."

Kagome shook her head. "Mm, no I'm fine," she replied, burying her nose in another textbook.

Souta quirked an eyebrow, staring at the girl in front of him.

"Why?" he asked. "Did you… see someone?"

Kagome's mind froze momentarily. How was she supposed to answer that? Maybe with the truth…

"I…I think Inuyasha's here," she said slowly, waiting for a presumably bad reaction from her younger brother.

"…Really?"

The raven-haired girl looked up, slightly surprised.

"Yes," she responded. "But he's human… and he doesn't remember us."

"…You're crazy."

"Shut up. I swear it's him!"

"Uh huh."

"Souta, I'm serious!"

"You remember what I said about you going crazy from all these books?"

"Well, yes…"

"Well I'm serious this time."

"Souta…"

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The next morning had arrived much faster than Kagome had hoped it would. The unbearable sound of her alarm clock shocked her awake, earning it an unruly smack on the snooze button about a dozen times before the exhausted college student finally decided to get up.

Groaning sleepily, Kagome looked over to Souta who slept soundly in his bed on the other side of the room, seeming completely undisturbed by the alarm.

Shaking her head disbelievingly at the boy's capacity for sleep, the young woman made her way grudgingly to the bathroom, where she spent the next thirty minutes showering and preparing herself for the day ahead.

She couldn't help but feel some sort of anticipation – the previous day still feeling like a bizarre dream. Stepping out of the bathroom and gathering her things, Kagome felt excited for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. As she stepped out the door and locked it, she felt an almost overwhelming urge to run to the bus stop. Upon arriving, she noticed there were less people than usual – probably because she had arrived earlier today than most mornings.

About twenty minutes into the bus ride, something caught Kagome's attention form the corner of her left eye. Turning her head, she noticed someone with long black hair sitting across from her, staring absently out the window.

'Inuyasha…' 

Suddenly feeling relieved to know he wasn't just part of some bizarre dream she had, Kagome stood from where she sat and crossed the bus cautiously, quietly taking a seat next to him.

Immediately noticing someone's presence beside him, the young man turned his head, his eyes widening slightly in surprise at the sight of the girl next to him. She smiled pleasantly, tilting her head slightly to one side before opening her mouth to greet him.

"Good morning," she said chirpily, seeming slightly overjoyed to see him again.

"Uhh… Hi," he responded awkwardly, not yet accustomed to the girl's energetic personality.

"Nice day, huh?" Kagome asked in an attempt to start some kind of conversation.

The man beside her paused, staring at her strangely before responding.

"Is there something I can do for you?" he asked monotonously.

Kagome frowned at this. '_Typical Inuyasha…'_

"You're not used to people being nice to you very much… are you?" she asked seriously.

His eyebrow twitched.

"What's it to you?" he nearly barked, irritated by her inquisition.

Kagome shrugged, seeming unfazed by his attitude. She was used to it.

"You know," the young woman began. "You still haven't told me your name."

"Keh," he snorted. "And I ain't gonna!" he all but yelled, turning his head away from her with a deep frown.

Kagome clenched her fists, nearly shaking in frustration. "Well, FINE!"

The rest of the bus ride passed in relative silence, both staring in opposite directions until the bus finally came to the final stop. Kagome quickly got up from her seat, stomping out of the bus with 'Inuyasha' following close behind. As she turned to head in the opposite direction, he called after her, causing her to spin for the second time since yesterday.

"Hey!" he yelled. "I'll… I'll see you later I guess," he spoke quietly, his gaze averted.

Kagome blinked, slightly surprised at his sudden change in attitude. "Mm," she hummed softly, turning around soon after and continuing on her way.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Yuki, Eri, and Ayumi stared as their friend dragged herself into the lecture hall, dropped her bag carelessly onto the floor, and plunked herself down in the chair next to them with an exasperated sigh. Nevertheless, despite her exhausted demeanor, they noticed something very different about Kagome.

"Kagomeeeee!!" all three screeched with equal enthusiasm. "You look… AMAZING!!!"

"Ehh??" Kagome looked up, hardly curious about what they had to say to her.

"You're glowing!" Eri squealed. "The colour in your face is TOTALLY back – and oh my goodness, are you wearing makeup?!"

The other two gasped.

"Lord in heaven, what happened?!"

"OH, OH!! I know… YOU MET SOMEONE!!"

"Guys…." Kagome pleaded, her head spinning from all the chatter.

"Oh so THAT'S where you were yesterday," Yuki giggled.

"So tell us Kagome, who's the lucky guy?" Ayumi winked as she nudged her friend in the ribs.

"Yeah, and where'd you meet him?!" added Eri.

"No!!!" Kagome moaned. "I didn't meet anyone…"

Yuki shook her head. "Now now Kagome, poor Hojo will be SOO disappointed when he hears about this. OH the poor boy…"

"Ah! NO!! Yuki don't you dare!" Kagome hissed at her friend, only to receive a malicious glare. "Ok… ok ok… I'll tell you… just DO NOT say anything to Hojo, PLEASE!!"

The three chatterboxes grinned, pleased with their work.

Kagome sighed. "I uhh…. Well…" she thought desperately. The truth was she didn't meet anyone new – but she had to tell them something. "This guy… he uhh, saved my life yesterday on the way to school. I was passing that annoying construction site – "

"Ohh!! The one with the cute construction workers?!" squealed Eri.

"Umm… yes, that one…" Kagome replied. "So this big five ton chunk of metal was going to fall on my head, and this guy pushed me out of the way… and yeah… that's really about it."

"Well what's his name?" her friends questioned, eyes wide like saucers.

"I... don't know…"

"You didn't get his name?! And he saved your life???"

Kagome winced.

"You're crazy!!!" they all shrieked in sync.

Kagome put her hands up in mock defense as she stammered, "W-well, what exactly do you want me to do about it??"

"Go back to his workplace and ask him to go out for some coffee," Yuki said confidently, crossing her arms over her chest.

"W-what?!" Kagome all but yelled in the middle of the lecture hall, earning her a few awkward glances.

"Yeah!" replied Yuki excitedly. "Or we'll tell Hojo!!"

Kagome let out a final sigh of exasperation as she let her head smack against the desk with a loud thunk.

**_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_**

"I don't see him," the college student said flatly as she peered around the corner of the building at the construction site.

"Well then go ask his buddies where he is!" Yuki hissed in Kagome's ear as the other two girls shoved her forward towards the messy site.

Kagome could already feel the sweat breaking out on her forehead as she cautiously walked closer to the construction, trying her best to seem inconspicuous.

"Hehe, lookin' for your _boyfriend_?" a mocking voice teased from above her.

Looking up, the raven-haired girl realized she had already been noticed by the construction workers, contemptuous expressions sketched across their faces.

"Beg your pardon?" she asked stupidly.

The man climbed down the ladder to greet her, and as he did so, she noticed he was the worker from the hospital with the broken nose. He tilted his helmet forward a little and grinned at her, showing off bright white teeth.

"You lookin' for _Sunflowers_?" he asked in a deep voice.

"S-Sunflowers?" Kagome repeated.

"Yeah, yer boyfriend… that's what we call him."

Kagome laughed nervously. "Oh, no… he's not my boyfriend. I don't even know his name – he wouldn't tell me," she added bitterly.

The man with the broken nose threw his head back, laughing so hard he began to cough and wheeze.

"That boy," he started as he recomposed himself. "He doesn't even _know _his own name."

Kagome stared, unblinking. Taking this as a sign to continue, the burly man resumed his story.

"Kid just woke up from a coma six month ago. Doesn't remember anythin that happened to him – docs say he's got amnesia – doesn't even remember anythin bout himself or nothin'." He paused before adding, "So we call him Sunflowers, 'cause whenever he gets real mad, his eyes start twinklin' yellow for some reason… reminds us of sunflowers, heh."

"Twinkling… yellow?" Kagome muttered incoherently. '_That's crazy,'_ she thought. '_But Inuyasha did have amber eyes… does that mean there's a half demon inside this 'Inuyasha'?'_

"You again?! Are you stalking me, woman?"

The sentence made Kagome's heart stop momentarily. '_Inuyasha!'_ She spun around to meet a pair of dark eyes, which were narrowed dangerously at her.

"Uhh…emm… Hello!" she chirped nervously. Her eyes shifted from the sweaty topless construction worker 'Inuyasha' to the street corner where her three nosy friends stood watching the situation intently.

'Sunflowers' quirked an eyebrow at her impatiently, as if waiting for some kind of explanation. "So…" he began, trying to mask his irritation as his eyes drifted from Kagome to his fellow colleague, who shifted nervously from foot to foot. "Telling stories about me again?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.

"Umm… I uhh, well…" the man trailed off. "I was just uh – "

"Telling me you were on break!" Kagome cut in, saving the man's life. "I came by looking for you, and uhh… I was just wondering if, well… you'd like to maybe go grab some coffee after work or something," She blabbered nervously, her gaze focused to the ground.

The young man in front of her didn't respond, but wrinkled his nose instead.

"Coffee?" he repeated. "Don't you drink that stuff in the morning to wake you up?"

"Umm, well yes, typically I suppose," she said a little less shyly, looking up at him at last. "But people drink it all the time… with company," she added.

"…Well whatever. I guess so," he replied quietly, raising an eyebrow at the girl's sudden quietness. "I get off at four thirty, so come back around then."

"Umm, sure," Kagome smiled. "See you then," she added before turning around and scurrying off to where Yuki, Eri, and Ayumi waited for her, filled with anticipation.

**_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_**

Exactly an hour and twenty minutes later, Kagome and 'Inuyasha', also known as Sunflowers, sat in a nearby Starbucks, each sipping on their own caffeine beverage.

"So what exactly did you say this was again?"

Kagome smiled at him warmly. "It's a chocolate mint ice frappe with whipped cream and chocolate sauce."

"Uh huh," he mumbled absently, eyeing the sweet drink in front of him before shifting his gaze to Kagome's. "And what's that?" he asked curiously.

"Oh this… this is just hot chocolate with cinnamon," she laughed.

"So why did I get the fancy one?"

"Because I thought you should try it. Why, you don't like it?" she inquired, slightly worried he didn't.

"No, it's good. I just don't see why it was necessary," He answered dryly before adding, "and it was expensive."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "Don't be so stingy!" she scolded.

"I ain't stingy!" he retorted.

"Suuure."

"Keh."

Kagome giggled.

"What is it now?" he asked irritably.

"So… Sunflowers eh?" she asked, avoiding the subject.

'Sunflowers' growled. "Shut up!"

This only made her laugh harder.

"Mm, no. It's cute. It's just strange… how they say your eyes glow yellow when you're angry," she said, suddenly become serious.

"Keh, as if I would know. It's not like I can see myself," he replied defensively.

"It's alright… you know you didn't have to hide the fact that you had amnesia. You could have just told me," Kagome prodded shyly, unconsciously drawing circles around the rim of her mug with a slim finger.

He said nothing.

"It's rude you know… not to tell someone your name – but if I had known – "

"Then what?" he interrupted impatiently. "I don't see why it's so important to you anyway."

Kagome paused.

"It's nothing," she said finally. Noticing they were both finished their drinks; she stood, delicately putting on her coat in the process. "I better get going."

"Yeah," he agreed, staring out the window. "Let's go."

The college student stopped to look at him.

"You're walking me home again?" she asked curiously, earning something akin to a growl form the young man.

"Well it's past dark," he barked irritably. "I don't wanna be held responsible for anything that might happen to you," he added.

Kagome felt her left eye twitch again. "And what exactly is going to happen to me here? We're not in _your _neighbourhood anymore you know!"

"No, but it's klutzes like you that get hit by random metal objects falling from the sky," he grinned in response.

"That was ONE time!" Kagome visibly bristled like a cat, fighting the urge to 'sit' him, as though he still had his prayer beads.

"Yeah, well, that one time was enough to convince me you're a catastrophe just waiting to happen," he chimed, the grin never leaving his face.

"Ohh, shut up!" Kagome snapped, whacking 'Sunflowers' upside the head and pushing him out the door.

Once they had reached the outside of the apartment building, Kagome felt a sudden heaviness in the air. She had really enjoyed 'Sunflowers'' company, even if he didn't know he was Inuyasha – she liked having him around anyway. As she turned to say goodbye, she caught sight of something that made her freeze.

"Kagome?!"

It was Hojo. And he was talking to her mother and grandpa – and not to mention Souta.

"_Oh… crap. What the heck are they ALL doing out here at 8:30p.m??" _

She saw the shock on Souta's face – he had definitely recognized Inuyasha.

"DEMON!!!!!" came her grandpa's cry, as he pointed an accusing finger at the dark-haired young man beside Kagome. "THERE IS A DEMON IN THAT MAN!!!"

"Dad, please!" her mother tried to reason. "You're embarrassing her – and me!"

Kagome could feel the cold sweat breaking out on her forehead again. '_What the hell grandpa?!'_

"I uhh… guess I'll be going now," 'Inuyasha' said, slowly turning as he stared at the old maniac. "Um, bye Kagome," he looked back at her one last time, giving a curt nod before walking away from the bizarre scene.

Kagome stared after him, lost deep in her thoughts.

'_So his eyes turn yellow when he's angry, and now grandpa senses a demon inside of him? Maybe this 'Sunflowers' isn't as human as he appears to be. Maybe the half demon Inuyasha is still there?'_

The college student shook her head to clear her thoughts. She was tired, and wanted nothing more that would complicate her life. Complications were no longer welcome.

_**A/N: YAYY!! Chapter 3 finished. SO just to give everyone a heads up, next chapter I will be giving the doggie ears back …. and the story will be taking a few new twists and turns . Hope everyone's enjoying so far! Please review and give feedback! Suggestions and criticism is always welcome :D  
**_


	4. Shattered: Chapter 4

**_A/N: To all those that chose to review, thank you very very much ::sends her love out to all of you:: However, I don't mean to sound like a biatch when I say this... but I've got something like 23 people who put this story on their "alert" list, but only about 5 or 6 of those people actually review. This is kind of discouraging, and I'm sure that I'm speaking on behalf of many other authors here too... we're pretty much fueled by whatever reviews and input we get from out readers, and when people read and don't review, it kind of sucks. I'm not saying that EVERYONE that reads the story HAS to review no matter what, but at least those of you that put this on your favourites list, or your alert list - you should review :( so please do, because it IS the motivation writers get to keep writing.  
_**

**_Ok just to let everyone know, this is a VERY important chapter, because something VERY important happens. So read and I hope you all enjoy :D_**

**_- Shattered -_**

**_- Chapter 4 - _**

Before she could register her thoughts, Kagome felt a rough tug on her sleeve, directing her into the building.

"What the – " she protested as she was rudely dragged into the elevators by her awe-struck younger brother, who was now slightly pale.

As the elevator doors clinked shut, Souta turned to his sister, the expression on his face pleading explanation. Kagome sighed as she shook her head.

"I told you! But you wouldn't believe me – "

"I know! I know! I'm sorry!" he protested. "But it just seemed a little ridiculous at the time."

Kagome stared at herself in the elevator mirror as she spoke. "You think mom recognized him?"

Souta shook his head. "No, she didn't pass out or go white as sheet or anything – so I doubt it. She probably just thinks he's a new boyfriend or something."

"And grandpa?"

"Grandpa's as old as Tokyo itself, and his memory sucks. There's no way he'd recognize Inuyasha in human form… but he did accuse him of being a demon, which is kind of odd." The teen added, eyeing Kagome suspiciously.

"I don't know Souta, it is really strange. He doesn't seem to remember anything – not to mention he's been human since I ran into him… but the men he works with say his eyes sometimes flash gold when he's angry… AND he woke up from a coma some six months ago, and doesn't remember anything about himself – not even his own name!" she ranted on, trying to conjure possible answers to her own questions.

"Hey, hey, don't look at me," Souta lifted his hands in mock defense. "Best thing right now would probably be to just… get to know this guy better."

Kagome sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So umm… if he doesn't know his name's Inuyasha, what exactly do people call him?"

The young woman couldn't suppress the giggle that rose to her lips.

"W-what??"

"Sunflowers."

"……."

It only took a few moments before the elevator erupted with laughter, shaking the entire compartment until the wiring holding it secure nearly snapped.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Half an hour later, the Higurashi family sat at the kitchen table eating their dinner together. Everyone was extremely quiet, until Kagome's mother decided it was time to break the silence.

"That Hojo boy is really nice," she commented casually, looking up from her meal to watch her daughter's expression.

Kagome had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. "Yeah, a little TOO nice," she replied back. "Is there a single day that you live without saying how nice of a boy Hojo is?" she asked sarcastically.

The older woman seemed slightly taken aback by her daughter's sudden cynicism.

"Told you she had a thing for the badasses Mom," Souta snorted, earning a hard elbow to the ribs from Kagome.

"Speaking of which," their mother began. "Who was that… interesting looking young man you were with outside the building – you now the one with the long hair?"

Kagome gulped while Souta choked comically on his food.

"He's just… a friend," Kagome responded nonchalantly.

The housekeeper eyed her daughter suspiciously, when her own father suddenly spoke.

"Why in my day…" he coughed wearily before continuing, "When a young woman was seen alone with a man like that – it was KNOWN they were having an affair!"

Kagome cursed her stupid little brother under her breath as the colour rose to her cheeks. _'Damn you, Souta. Damn you.'_

"It's just strange of you dear," her mother said, sounding concerned. "You've been coming home quite late the past few days, and now here you are getting all defensive about some boy you claim is just a _friend._"

"Hey come on, Kagome's a big girl – I think she has the right to her own love life without us keeping tabs on her," Souta broke in to his sister's defense. "She is twenty one after all, and it's not like you breathe down my neck whenever I'm seen with a girl… well no more than usual anyway."

Their mother seemed thoughtful. "I suppose you're right," she agreed after a moment's contemplation.

Kagome sighed in relief. She gave her brother a thankful look before wolfing down the rest of her meal, wanting desperately to leave the uncomfortable dinner table atmosphere.

Once in her room, the college student gratefully collapsed on her small bed, wishing she had someone to call and rant to. If she were back in the feudal era, Sango would be the first to hear her woes – but here, she just didn't seem to have anyone as trustworthy. Sure, Yuki, Eri, and Ayumi were her lifelong friends – but they really didn't have the same maturity level as Sango. They were good to spend free time with, and engage in pointless, girly activities with – but when it came to the deeper, more intellectual and emotional aspects of life – they were as hallow as Halloween pumpkins…and without the pretty candle inside.

Rolling onto her side, Kagome let her thoughts drift to the previous days' events. Once again, it all seemed like one really bizarre dream to her – only this time she was certain it was not a dream. The young woman felt anxious about the whole thing, feeling as though she didn't really accomplish what she had wanted to.

_'What exactly do I want to accomplish with this anyway?' _she thought to herself. Was she trying to find the old half-demon Inuyasha? Was she trying to help him regain his memory? Or maybe she just wanted to rekindle their old friendship – and perhaps more.

'But how do you get a person with amnesia to remember everything about themselves? Oh, what does it matter? Inuyasha is someone who lived five hundred years in the past. If anything, something more than ordinary amnesia is behind this.'

Kagome had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that it all had something to do with the Shikon Jewel. Nevertheless, she was relatively clueless, having no idea how to deal with the situation before her – until it finally hit her:

_'Why am I trying to complicate things?' _she thought, furrowing her eyebrows. _'I have a chance to be with Inuyasha, AND leave the past behind me. Why would I want to bring back my old ghosts? Why not just start over… with this new opportunity… Forget the past Kagome! Who cares WHY he's here and how he got here as a human being with no memories – it's probably a blessing in disguise anyways! Don't screw it up! And stop complicating everything!' _

Kagome smiled. For the first time she realized tomorrow was a new day, and that she had many days ahead of her to become acquainted with her new friend. She had many days ahead to spend with Inuyasha in her own time, and not having to worry about undead priestesses, demons, jewel shards, or the end of the world.

Kagome Higurashi had many days ahead to live her own life – just as she chose to live it.

With this final thought, the now relaxed college student drifted off into a listless sleep, a great load finally lifted off her tired shoulders.

**_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_**

When morning came, Kagome felt refreshed and awake. She jumped out of bed without hitting the snooze button even once, and made her way to the bathroom while humming to the radio in her head.

After showering and preparing for school like she usually did – only with a little more effort this time – the once again cheerful girl headed off to the kitchen, where to her surprise she found her mother, already preparing breakfast with a smile on her face.

"Why good morning dear!" the kind woman said brightly.

Kagome smiled back; glad to see her mother had put last night's dinner conversation behind her.

"Morning mom!" she replied.

"I'm making your favourite breakfast this morning – I thought you might like some help for a change," her mother said as she laid down the finishing touches to the meal.

The younger woman blinked, confused by her mother's sudden efforts.

"Thanks mom," she said seriously. "But you really didn't have to. I'm up early anyways, so I have lots of time to make my own breakfast… you don't have to get up just for me."

"Oh Kagome, but you know I like to do favours for my girl. You work so hard all the time – I thought it might be nice for someone else to do something for a change. You always try so hard to be independent… it's really not expected of you."

Kagome sat down at the table, staring at the eggs her mother had just cooked for her before responding absently, "I guess."

"By the way Kagome," her mother began. "I was wondering… maybe you'd like to invite that new friend of yours over for dinner tonight?"

The raven-haired girl's head snapped up instantly.

"W-what?" she stammered disbelievingly.

"Well, I know that your grandpa sort of… embarrassed him yesterday. I saw the way he left… quite abruptly – and I feel like we scared him off… so maybe you should get him to come over so he can get to know us a little better, and see that there's really nothing to be afraid of," the older woman smiled.

Kagome blinked stupidly. "Well, sure… I guess – that is… if I can get him to agree."

Her mother smiled warmly. "Great!"

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Kagome's eyes darted around the bus, searching for 'Inuyasha,' anticipation filling her as she thought up a hundred different ways to ask the young man to join her family for dinner that evening. To her disappointment, he was nowhere to be found. Frowning, the young woman took a seat across from where her companion sat the previous day.

_'Maybe his shift is different today?' _she thought. _'No, that's not possible. He said he took this bus every morning. Although, it's possible he just left earlier today than usual? Or maybe I left earlier, and he'll be catching the next bus?' _

The possibilities flooded Kagome's mind. Why she was thinking so intently about it was beyond her – but she couldn't seem to stop herself.

_'Calm yourself woman!' _she mentally scolded. _'You'll see him either when you pass the construction site this morning, or after school… everything will work out.' _

Despite her reassuring thoughts, Kagome would not feel at ease. This was greatly amplified when she passed the construction site after getting off the bus, only to find that there was no 'Sunflowers'.

The day seemed to pass by torturously slow for Kagome, while her friends chattered about every little insignificant thing that had practically no relevance to the young woman's life whatsoever.

"So how was your little date with that sexy construction worker?" Yuki winked at her friend, who seemed severely spaced out.

"Oh my gosh, that's right! Did you see his body?! A-MAZ-ING!!" cried Eri, her eyes glazing over.

"Uhh, KAGOME!!"

"Huh??" Kagome snapped to attention while all three girls stared at her stupidly. "Oh, right. It was nice," she stated simply, not caring to elaborate.

"Umm… ok… so what did you guys do then? And will you be seeing him again?" Ayumi interrogated.

Her friend sighed boringly. She was already bummed about not running into Inuyasha this morning on the bus, or the construction site. Talking about the handsome construction worker was the last thing the young woman wanted to do at this point – especially if it meant talking about him to Yuki, Eri, and Ayumi.

"We had some coffee at Starbucks. Then he walked me home. Didn't really talk about seeing each other a second time," Kagome droned, wishing they'd all stop staring at her with such high expectations in their eyes.

"OHH! How sweet! He walked you home?!"

"…Yes. It was past dark. Apparently."

Kagome said this sardonically, her eyes slightly narrowed as she thought back to her date's silly excuses for walking her home from the coffee shop. Her three friends looked at each other, evidently confused, but shrugged uncaringly before continuing their question period.

"Well he seems like a gentleman?" Eri asked hopefully.

"He's not exactly much of a charmer, if that's what you mean," answered Kagome blatantly. "He's pretty rough around the edges."

"But why wouldn't he want to see you again?" whined Ayumi. "You're so pretty, and smart, and fun – and everything!"

Kagome sighed. "It's not really a matter of 'want,' Ayumi. He really just doesn't seem like the type of guy who likes to go out of his way to see people. I guess you could say he's a bit of a loner – "

"Ohhhhh I know!!" Yuki interrupted. "Maybe he just got out of a really serious relationship and is having trouble trusting or becoming attracted to someone new!! And he doesn't wanna talk about it because it's just wayyyy too painful!!" she exclaimed proudly.

Kagome couldn't stop the heavy sinking feeling in her gut as she remembered all the heartache she had experienced because of Inuyasha's 'serious' relationship.

'Kikyo.'

The name was burned into the back of her mind since the day she had met Inuyasha – and it never ceased to haunt her.

"Hey, listen you guys… I really need to head home and catch up on my work. Ever since I missed that day at school I feel like I'm totally lost – so I'll catch you guys later, ok?" The now depressed college student blurted out abruptly. She didn't even wait for a response from her three bewildered friends as she swiftly turned on her heal and headed home, making a mental note to take the route passing the construction site.

As she walked at a quick pace, Kagome felt relieved to get away from the three girls who seemed to drop the Spanish Inquisition on her every time they were in the vicinity. The young woman seemed to urge her feet to move faster, wanting to reach the construction site as quickly as possible. She just couldn't take the suspense any longer. As she approached, Kagome slowed, giving herself time to scan the area for 'Sunflowers.' It came as little surprise to her when he was nowhere to be seen. Feeling her heart sink once more, the young woman sped up, making sure none of the other construction workers would catch sight of her for what felt like the hundredth time in the past three days. Successfully avoiding their mockery, Kagome boarded her usual bus, wishing that he would somehow magically be there – sitting in his usual seat and staring absently out the window.

Of course, that didn't happen either.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The next few days passed in a similar fashion. Kagome could feel her mood deteriorating as time went by, and her life slowly began to revert back to the way it was before her encounter with 'Sunflowers'. A few times she had even wondered if it WAS all a dream.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were hardly differentiable. He was nowhere to be seen on the bus, nor at the construction site on the way to and from school.

Saturday came, and Kagome finally had a chance to sleep in with no disturbances from her obnoxious alarm clock. Stretching like a cat, the young woman turned over and examined the time; 10:00 a.m. Blinking a few times she sat up, brainstorming on what to spend the day doing. She had managed to catch up on her schoolwork since she hadn't seen 'Inuyasha,' so studying was out of the question. On the other hand, she really didn't want to have to deal with Yuki, Eri, and Ayumi. They were definitely out of the question as well. At that moment, a smile crept to the raven-haired girl's face as an idea had found its way into her suddenly vivid imagination.

Once Kagome had freshened up, she made her way to the kitchen where she pulled out her mother's recipe book.

_'Cookies… cookies…cookies…AHA! Chocolate chip cookies!' _the young woman smiled to herself. _'He'll love these.' _

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Two hours later, Kagome felt like Little Red Riding hood as she carried a basket full of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies to someone she felt was close enough to being the wolf.

Upon reaching apartment number five hundred, the young woman excitedly knocked on the worn wooden door, eagerly waiting a response. A loud crash was heard from inside, followed by quite an array of curse words before a very tired, sickly looking sunflower emerged.

They stared at each other momentarily, both seeming shocked. 'Inuyasha' because he had not been expected Kagome as a visitor, and Kagome because of the weak appearance of the man before her.

"Oh my god! You look awful!" she exclaimed, pointing her index finger at him.

The young man grumbled in response, his eyes giving her a sardonic glare.

"Yeah," he said weakly. "I'm sick."

Kagome shook her head and sighed. "I was wondering why I didn't see you all week. I started to get worried so I decided I'd check up on you and see if everything was ok."

The man in front of her stared blankly. Taking the awkward pause as a sign to continue, the young woman held up her basket as she continued explaining.

"So I uhh… baked you some cookies!" she said cheerfully, pushing them into the sick construction worker's chest. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw him sniffing the air around the basket, reminding her of the half-demon she once knew.

"Thanks," he said simply. "They smell really good."

Kagome smiled, seeming satisfied by the reaction.

"So… can I come in?" she asked shyly, twirling her fingers nervously behind her back.

'Inuyasha' blinked, seeming relatively oblivious, but made no move to protest.

"Sure, I guess," he said, moving aside to let her in.

Kagome didn't know what had come over her, to make such a bold request. Technically, she'd only known the guy for a couple of days, and was already asking to raid his home!

"What exactly do you plan on doing… healing me?" he asked wryly.

"No…" Kagome began. "I plan on CLEANING this… this… ick! How OLD is this pizza lying on the carpet??"

'Sunflowers'' gaze shifted from one side of the room to the other. "That's… debatable?"

The young woman cringed at the sight of his living space. It was disgusting!

"Jesus," she muttered under her breath. "No wonder you're sick!"

It only took Kagome a few moments to begin picking around the apartment, cleaning and tidying as she went.

"What are you doing?" 'Sunflowers' asked as he eyed the young woman suspiciously, watching her as she rearranged and organized his belongings.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Kagome shouted as she made her way into the next room. "I'm cleaning this mess!"

The man shrugged. If the girl was this intent on tidying his place for him, then let her clean until her heart's content. He plopped himself down on the couch, taking a swig of beer from the bottle he had left on the small tableside next to the old sofa.

Kagome had never seen such a messy room in all her years. Not even Souta made such untidiness at his worst. Sighing to herself, she began to pick up the laundry piled all over the floor, sorting it as either dirty, clean, or in need of ironing.

Once she had folded what was left of the clean laundry, Kagome slid open the small closet door. She was ready to place the newly made pile of clothes atop the shelf, when she noticed something that made her heart stop.

On the top shelf of the closet, in the far left corner, lay a neatly folded red haori – Inuyasha's fire rat robe. Instantly dropping the clothes she had spent the last hour sorting and folding, Kagome reached for the blood red robe, bringing it down from the shelf and groping it as if to make sure it were real. Shakily, she headed back to the main room where 'Sunflowers' lay sprawled on the couch, watching his small television set.

"I-Inuyasha?" she called shakily, nearly choking on her own words after realizing the name she had just spoken.

For whatever reason, he looked up, reacting to the word she had used to address him.

"What…is this?" Kagome asked slowly, holding up the red haori.

In that moment, two things happened. One: something within the young man was triggered, and within an instant he was on his feet striding across the room. Two: as he closed the gap between himself and Kagome, a strange, yet familiar sensation fluttered inside of him – something akin to butterflies.

"Hey!! What the hell are you doing with that?!" he yelled, grabbing the material from Kagome's hands and yanking it away from her.

Kagome, still desperately holding on to the robe pulled back, determined to get the truth out of him.

"Why do you have this?!" she questioned desperately, feeling herself choke on her own words once more. There was a strange burning sensation in her eyes, and she quickly realized it was none other than the formation of tears becoming dangerously close to releasing.

As the two fought over the red haori, neither noticed the small, round object that was buried within its folds – not until it dropped out, hitting the floor with a delicate clink. Hearing the sound, both looked down, only to lay eyes upon none other than the Shikon jewel itself, which emitted a light pink glow.

Kagome froze – she was sure she must have been hallucinating. She reached down absently to pick up the jewel – but as she did so, Inuyasha's hand darted out, beating her to it. Her delicate fingers landed on his fist, which now tightly squeezed the small sacred object – and as she lightly took hold of his hand, the once faint glow of the Shikon Jewel became a powerful emission of light, shooting out wildly without control.

As this occurred the young man backed away, falling to his knees. With his free hand he clasped his wrist tightly, unconsciously squeezing the object harder and harder, until finally, a faint crack was heard.

With a cry of pain, 'Inuyasha' released his grip, allowing dozens of tiny shards to fall from his hand and land delicately on the floor.

The Shikon Jewel had been shattered.

His hair had now turned a silvery white, and seemed rougher and thicker than usual. To add to Kagome's horror, two white triangular objects had appeared on top of his head, twitching involuntarily – and she could have sworn she heard a feral, demonic growl emit from deep within his throat.

"Who…. Who are you?" Kagome stammered, uncertain of what to expect at this point. She was tired, and afraid of losing everything she had worked to build. Even though almost nothing made sense, and everything told her that this WAS Inuyasha, she just wanted to believe whatever would have made her life simple in that moment. Complications were no longer welcome.

The man in front of her groaned, evidently in pain. His new claws seemed to dig and crack into the dirty hardwood floor, while his entire body tensed and shuddered.

"What the hell are you talking about Kagome? Don't tell me you've already forgotten me," he spoke gently – yet the words seemed more of a command than an inquisition.

"You…you never told me your name," she defended weakly, her voice seeming helpless and surrendering.

He looked up at her then, a pained expression in his sparkling amber eyes. His gaze was so intense and piercing, it struck Kagome to her very core. It was the same look she had seen on his face six years ago as she faded out of his world and became locked in her own. Moments passed by, seeming like an eternity – until finally he spoke, his eyes still burning like the sun.

"Then I'll tell you now," he said. "It's Inuyasha."

**_A/N: dun dun dun….there you have it… the return of the hanyou. SO things will be getting rather interesting from now on. PLEASE review and let me know what you think! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! _**


	5. Shattered: Chapter 5

_**A/N: Ahhh I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while… but my grandma passed away recently and it's been kinda crazy with the family and all, plus school has started again and I've been having some trouble fixing up my courses in university… but alas here is chapter 5! Hope you enjoy! And thank you to everyone who reviewed, it is much appreciated and I love you all - sends hearts out -  
**_

_**In response to Ruby's question: Nope, Kagome did not forget who Inuyasha was. She was just so distraught and shocked to see him that she didn't know what to believe anymore. **_

Her heart felt as though it would leap right out of her chest. Kagome knew she must have been dreaming as she laid eyes upon none other than Inuyasha himself, still crouching in pain just a few feet in front of her. His ears twitched as though they hadn't been used in decades, his hair a thick, rough messy shielding his face. Finally gaining some composure, the half demon as Kagome had known him slowly released the now dented and crunched up floor boards, standing freely without support. He looked up at her warily, trying to decipher the mixture of terror and confusion on the young woman's face. Frowning, he felt her distress, tasted it in his mouth, and smelled it within his nostrils. Taking a step forward he opened his mouth to speak, causing the girl to jump back.

"It's alright Kagome," he began gently. "It's just me… don't you remember?"

Kagome swallowed the bile that rose to her throat, threatening to cause her to vomit uncontrollably. She slowly nodded, unable to find her voice as she too attempted to regain composure. "Is it really you?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking as though she had been battered and threatened. "Is it really you, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou seemed deeply irritated by the question. "Of course it's me!" he yelled. "Who else would it be?"

Kagome shook her head. "What the hell is going on?" She seemed almost delirious, her gaze unfocused and wandering.

"Kagome," he growled, closing the gap between them in only a few strides. He grabbed her by the sleeve of her sweater, yanking her to him and crushing her body to his own. "Did you honestly think I'd let you go that easily?" he questioned aggressively, his voice hoarse all of a sudden.

Kagome was at a loss of words. She buried her face in his shoulder, hardly able to contain the sobs which now wracked her body uncontrollably. "What the hell… did you do?" she asked, each word croaking out through her gasps for air.

Inuyasha sighed, not wanting to explain. "It's a long story," he sighed, stroking the girl's hair as he spoke. "But let's just say, when you disappeared, I did what I had to in order to see you again. The entrance to the well on your side was blocked – "

"The government bought our shrine and destroyed it. They must have destroyed the well too."

"That explains it then. Those bastards."

"W-what?" Kagome looked up into his amber eyes for the first time in six years. "What are you talking about? You came after me?"

Inuyasha let out another growl. "Of course I did! What else was I supposed to do? You just… disappeared." He added the last part somewhat miserably.

Gently prying herself out of his deadly embrace, the college student took the hanyou's clawed hand, leading him to the old sofa adjacent to the door. As if knowing what to expect, he sat down next to her, scratching his head as his eyes slowly drifted to the shards of the Shikon jewel, scattered all over the dirty floor. "I used it," he said suddenly. "To get to you… I made a wish with the jewel… to see you again, Kagome." His voice was soft, and somehow fragile. "That thing is damned, I swear it," he continued, looking down at the floor with hard eyes. "While I was making my wish, I mentioned not caring if I had to turn human and sleep for five centuries just to see you again – and it turns out that's what really happened…"

He banged his fist against the coffee table in front of them. "The damn jewel reincarnated me as a human in your time, locking my soul inside that human body. You don't understand… how hard my soul fought to be free and take over that body."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome began, not quite sure what she could say to comfort him. She herself wasn't quite sure how she felt about all this. Despite his explanation, the entire situation was a lot for the young woman to take in. She had already worked so hard to keep things simple with the human Inuyasha known as Sunflowers – but what would happen now that the old Inuyasha was back? How would he survive in her world? Would he adjust to it? Would he be able to even cope with living in the twenty first century? She remembered the times in high school when he'd come back from the feudal era, nagging at her to return to his world to search for the jewel shards. He'd stay for about a day, and seemed to do quite well… but to live here? She wasn't sure if he could. Glancing at the clock, Kagome's eyes widened. She clearly remembered passing one of the construction workers on her way to the dentist a few days prior. Apparently the man had something to complain about… like… working on a Saturday at three o'clock?

"Ah!" she yelped suddenly. "Inuyasha! You have to go to work! It's almost two thirty!"

The hanyou blinked quizzically. "Work? What the hell are you talking about Kagome, I don't have to go to any- hey!" he protested as the smaller girl yanked him off the coach.

"No, no, you really do!" she argued desperately. "If you don't go, you won't make any money, and if you don't make any money, you won't have anywhere to live! And I can't take you home with me like I used to back in high school!" she ranted on as she searched frantically around the room for something to cover Inuyasha's dog-like ears with.

'_God, didn't the guy have any hats?!'_

"Aha!" Kagome yanked out an old bandana from under the sofa with a cry of success.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. "I ain't wearin that! And besides… I don't know anything about this… work."

"It doesn't matter," Kagome chortled. "It's an easy job, I can assure you that. All brawn and no brain – perfect for you! And you HAVE to wear this Inuyasha, or you'll be taken in for experimentation somewhere!"

The hanyou simply crossed his arms and legs, grumbling in response. He didn't like this world one bit. Everything was so complicated, and the people were so damn sensitive too! Why did he have to suffer because he was born with two fuzzy triangles on the top of his head?

"So… what do I do again?" Inuyasha paused before flashes of the previous week flooded his mind. "Oh… right… construction. Yipee. OW! Hey, watch it!" he scowled as Kagome roughly tied the bandana around his head, efficiently hiding his appendages.

Giving the hanyou one last thorough yank, the young woman managed to pull him off the couch and onto his feet, pushing and prodding him towards the door.

"Let's go!" she whined as she continued to push an unwilling Inuyasha down the hall and towards the elevator. Thankfully, he seemed to have a relatively good portion of his memory from the past seven days, making the use of modern technologies much easier and less shocking. Inuyasha had offered Kagome a piggyback ride, suggesting they run to the construction site – an idea which Kagome had instantly shot down for fear of being seen.

Once off the bus, the college student took a hold of the hanyou's hand, speed walking as fast she could while half-dragging the grungy young man behind her towards his workplace.

"KAGOMEEEE!!" the shrill voices of Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi rang through the air.

'_Oh. No.' _were the first two words that ran through Kagome's mind when she caught sight of the three making their way towards her. "Please, not now!" she begged, giving them all a pleading look – or at least she hoped it looked pleading.

Apparently it did. All the shriek-bags seemed to have noticed the desperation in Kagome's voice, and didn't bother stopping her to chat. However – that didn't mean they didn't notice what she was dragging at her heels…

"Alright, alright, FINE Kagome. We'll let you go for now – BUT, you gotta tell us about handsome over there in class on Monday," Yuka winked as she passed her exasperated friend.

Kagome sighed in relief, thanking the gods that her friends had let her off so easily.

"What was that all about?" inquired Inuyasha as he watched the three girls skid off.

"Nothing," came the weary response.

The hanyou was tempted to pry further but stopped himself when he noticed the old construction site now in plain view.

"Hey Sunflowers!" one of the men called out. "You're pretty late today… did ya have a rough night or something?" he asked, inclining his head towards Kagome and giving his now half-demon co-worker a suggestive wink.

Inuyasha growled under his breath as he stomped over to the man, leaping up on the high metal beam he was working on with ease that was inhuman. "Listen here, you fat, oily son-of-a bitch!" he ground out as he grabbed the unsuspecting man by the collar of his shirt, nearly lifting him off his feet.

"Hey guys, check it out! Sunflowers dyed his hair! And uhh… hey man, what's with the bandana?" piped someone from above him.

"He's trying out a new look!" shouted Kagome from the ground, answering for Inuyasha before he could say something stupid.

Inuyasha calmed them, dropping the now petrified construction worker, his eyes narrowing lazily. "Right then," he said. "So what do I gotta do around here?"

Meanwhile on the ground, Kagome shook her head as she tried her very hardest to slow her thudding heart. Sure, she had done this before – concealing Inuyasha's identity – but never had he been a 'productive member of society.' She had a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that Inuyasha would have some difficulty adjusting, especially since he didn't remember everything from his human days in her world. He had described it as only being bits and pieces of a shattered mirror, but he couldn't put them back together. Some pieces were too small, and others were just missing. Thankfully Inuyasha only had to work half the day, so she could pick him up and take him to class with her if need be, just to keep an eye on the bugger. Only those in heaven knew what kind of damage he might accidentally cause in this day and age. Sighing heavily once more, Kagome trotted off towards her classes, dreading what she might find when she got back to the construction site later that day.

She couldn't concentrate on anything. Not the professor at the front of the room, not her friends who chattered endlessly to her left, and especially not Hojo who kept tapping her on the shoulder to ask pointless questions that he either already knew the answer to, or just asked because he couldn't think of anything better to say. When her last morning class had ended, Kagome was more than grateful to dash out of the lecture hall, but not before Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi caught up with her first.

"Hold it!" one of them commanded, halting Kagome in her steps. They were all starting to sound the same to her, so it was becoming difficult to differentiate.

"Explain. Now. What is happening between you and that guy? And don't even TRY to say nothing's going on because we saw you holding hands with him!" Yuka demanded.

Kagome mentally slapped herself for dragging Inuyasha by the hand when they had gotten off the bus – of course they'd catch that. "There's seriously nothing going on." She said quickly. Too quickly.

"WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!" the girl in front of her screamed in frustration.

"No, seriously!" Kagome exclaimed, before an idea popped into her head. "Look, I'll bring him to our next class, and you can ask him yourselves! You'll see, there's nothing going on!"

Without another word, the frantic woman turned on her heel and ran towards the construction, praying that it would still be there when she arrived.

As Kagome rounded the corner, she was quite pleasantly surprised to see the place still in tact. Inuyasha was casually leaned against one of the poles with his arms crossed over his chest, a deadly glare on his face. Feeling herself sweat-drop, she slowly walked over, half expecting an explosion from the hanyou. Tugging on his arm, the young woman brought Inuyasha to attention.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get out of here."

"About damn time," he grunted in response, following her lead as she pulled him by the sleeve. "Where are we going," he asked curiously, becoming nervous at Kagome's silent, yet urgent attitude. It usually meant she was angry, or just anxious about something.

"I'm taking you to class with me," she responded evenly, not even turning to look at him.

Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly. "W-what?! Are you crazy?! Why can't I just go home…"

Kagome paused momentarily. "I'm afraid you'll cause some kind of havoc around the city. It's just better if you stick with me for now – at least until you get completely used to this world."

The hanyou looked at the ground as he grumbled to himself. He didn't want to admit it, but even he knew she was right. He wasn't used to this place, and already he had nearly attacked a few people for getting on his nerves. Staying with Kagome would insure he didn't do anything stupid and brash.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha's eyes widened comically as he stared down at the lecture hall full of college students. He immediately started to feel claustrophobic, inching closer to Kagome in an attempt to get away from all the foreign scents and people around him. He followed her closely, ensuring that some part of his body was in contact with hers at all times, feeling almost terrified to become separated or lost in the crowd.

Kagome eyed the hanyou wearily, trying her hardest not to be amused by his bewildered expression, as he seemed to spin aimlessly through the crowd of people. She spotted Yuka, Eri, Ayumi, and none other than Hojo himself waving enthusiastically at her from their seats. Yuka had already saved two extra seats for Kagome and her new "friend." Sighing, the raven-haired young woman trudged her way to where her friends eagerly awaited her, an explosion of questions barely being restrained.

"Come on Inuyasha," Kagome said as she dragged Inuyasha towards the other four, sounding not too thrilled. The hanyou watched her almost depressed expression, contemplating what could have possibly been so upsetting. Was it something he had done?

"Hi Kagome…" Yuka greeted in a sly voice, her eyes narrowing cattishly as she examined the young man with long white hair beside her friend.

"Hey, Yuka…" Kagome said quietly.

"So, aren't you gonna introduce us to your new friend?" grinned Eri as she too looked Inuyasha up and down, noticing the bandana he wore. "You know, the one with the sexy bandana," she added, winking deliberately at her now tomato-red friend.

Kagome felt her cheeks heat up like a stove. "This is Inuyasha," she ground out just above a whisper, not even turning to acknowledge her companion. She glanced to her left, noticing Hojo visibly sulk as he took in the sight of the hanyou. Despite the fact that Inuyasha was probably slightly intimidated by the college environment, he oozed a certain confidence and masculinity that Hojo would never have or compete with. To be honest, she felt slightly uncomfortable about the whole ordeal – having to watch Hojo pine after day after day since the beginning of high school, and now having to see him get beaten down by a sixteenth century half demon just didn't seem very friend-like of her, or fair for that matter. Feeling a frown tug at her lips, Kagome gently pulled Inuyasha by the sleeve towards the two open seats, indicating for him to sit down next to her.

"So what the heck are we doing here?" he asked, still glancing around somewhat frantically.

"This is a class Inuyasha," she said simply. "These people are here to listen to the professor, and learn something."

The hanyou opened his mouth to protest at the ridiculous idea but stopped himself when he noticed the brown-haired wimpy-looking boy leaning over his shoulder to talk to Kagome.

"Hey Higurashi," he began, his voice slightly shakier than usual. "I know you missed some class lately, so I made some photocopies of my notes for you… I thought they might come in handy." He handed her the stack of papers with uncertain hands.

"Umm, thanks Hojo, that's really sweet," Kagome thanked quietly.

"Hey Hobo! Quit leaning over my and get back in your chair… thing. Your breath stinks," Inuyasha barked, a stress vein protruding from the side of his head.

Kagome could already feel the cold sweat breaking out as she watched Inuyasha's irritated expression, along with Hojo's horror. She almost didn't believe what she had just heard come from the hanyou's mouth – then again, it was Inuyasha. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, the young woman turned to awe, and fear-stricken Hojo.

"I-I'm sorry Hob- I mean Hojo," she stammered. "Doggie didn't get fed this morning and now he's just barking, but don't worry… his bark is far worse than his bite. As always…" she trailed off, glaring Inuyasha down as she spoke. He seemed to ignore her but she knew he heard every word she had said and took it to heart. His jaw seemed to tighten at the doggie comment she had made and had remained so for the rest of the lecture – but he hadn't said a single word after that.

"So, Inuyasha was it? How did you meet Kagome?" Eri asked halfway through the lecture.

"We met at the god tree," Inuyasha replied monotonously, turning his head to look at the girl.

Eri blinked, almost looking confused. "The god tree?? You mean at Kagome's shrine?"

It was Inuyasha's turn to look confused, before Kagome jumped in to save him.

"Uhh yeah, near the old well!" she interrupted.

"Soooo, are you two… going out?" Yuka chirped immediately, not wasting any time.

Kagome bristled. "Yuka… I already told you – "

"What exactly do you mean, going out?" Inuyasha asked, cutting off the red-faced girl next to him.

"Yeah, what do you mean Yuka?" Hojo added, concern washing over his expression as he glanced back and forth from Kagome to Inuyasha.

"Well…" Yuka began, "you know… going out… dating… seeing each other…"

"We see each other all the time," Inuyasha answered her question, grabbing some peculiar looking object Hojo had on his desk as he began to examine it.

"Oh… REALLY? All the time you say…" the girl's eyes turned to slits as she redirected them from Inuyasha to Kagome.

Once the class had ended, Kagome had managed to grab him before another interrogation by her friends was started. Dragging him by the arm, she practically pushed her way through the mob of students trying to get out of the lecture hall. She was pretty furious at that point – furious at Yuka for humiliating her, and somewhat furious at Inuyasha for being so clueless.

'_Even if he has no idea what's going on, and it's not really his fault, he could have at least caught on someone!'_ she thought to herself as she clenched her teeth together, grinding them furiously.

"Hey Kagome, what's up… you seem kind of… pissed off," Inuyasha inquired, eyeing the girl obliviously.

She was about to turn and scream her lungs out at him when her cell phone rang, evaporating her angry thoughts for the time being.

"Hello? Yes….yes… ok Mama… yes don't worry I won't forget the onions. Ok…ok bye," she flipped the phone shut burying it back into her bag. "My mom needs me to do some grocery shopping… come on let's go."

Inuyasha couldn't quite put his finger on it, but for some reason Kagome seemed to be really… sad – especially since seeing her friends. He remembered her always getting along so much better with Sango… but these girls were just annoying. He wasn't quite sure what to say to Kagome to make her feel better, or to even get out of her what was wrong in the first place – but he'd have to try… eventually.

Lost in his thoughts, the hanyou trudged behind the angry college student, completely unaware of his surroundings. He could hear the cars and busses whizzing by him, but he never bothered to look up, even when a siren or horn sounded causing his sensitive ears to ring. It wasn't until he bumped into Kagome, who had stopped in her tracks and gasped in what seemed to be horror that Inuyasha finally looked up, his senses finally returning to him.

A few feet ahead was the local newsstand, which sold newspapers, and magazines of all sorts – even the mature kind. In that particular section stood an awfully familiar character – tall with dark eyes and short brown hair tied back in a rat-tail.

"Excuse me," his smooth, gentle voice sounded. "Would you happen to have last month's edition of playboy? I was out of town so I didn't get my hands on one."

Inuyasha was horror-struck. He couldn't believe his eyes. "It can't be! That lecher, what the hell is he doing here…" the anger faded out of his voice as he caught the scent of tears in front of him.

"K-Kagome?" he stammered, taken aback at the site before him. Her head was lowered causing her hair to create a dark curtain around the frame of her face – conveniently covering it so no one could see the tears that ran freely. It didn't matter though – Inuyasha would always know they were there, no matter how hard she tried to hide. Her shoulders shook slightly from the soft sobs that only his ears could pick up. There was no doubt about it – Kagome was crying.

"Kagome…" he said again, this time less surprised. He reached one hand out to place on her shoulder, but just as he did so she spun, launching her smaller frame at him. She wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her head into his hard chest. The loose strands of her raven hair tickled his chin, causing the hanyou to wrinkle his nose. With his outstretched arm he stroked the young woman's hair gently, while the other curled affectionately around her waste, bringing her closer to his warm body.

Inuyasha sighed, somewhat speechless. His blunt dog-like claws combed through Kagome's hair as he tried to sooth her with his actions, rather than words. The only thing he could do was focus on were her sobs, which slowly subsided into slow, deep breaths. She didn't look up, only continued to hold on. Looking around, Inuyasha noticed a nearbye bench, which had been conveniently left available. Without saying a word, he scooped up the smaller girl and carried her over before plopping himself down, leaving her sitting in his lap while comfortably nestled in his chest.

Drawing her closer, Inuyasha tuned out the world around him, focusing only on Kagome. It wasn't until he noticed the shadow of another person approaching that he looked up, ready to bite their head off. However, it wasn't the random stranger he had expected. Instead, he found himself staring in the eyes of a very familiar companion – one he had known many years in the past.

"Excuse me," began the man. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

_**A/N: Okkk so that concludes chapter 5! Now I'm sure you can all guess who this is But I decided not to say it on purpose just to have a bit of a cliffy. Please read and review! And I'll love you!**_


	6. Shattered: Chapter 6

_**A/N: Once again I apologize for the wait. I was loaded with work/exams/part time job… and now I've finally gotten the time to write again. Here's chapter 6, please enjoy!**_

_**- Shattered -**_

Chapter 6

Inuyasha's lips curled back in a venomous snarl. His eyes narrowed as he examined the Miroku look-alike.

'_What the hell is Miroku thinking?!' _he questioned in his head, ready to throttle the lecherous monk. However, as the hanyou examined the man before him more closely, he realized his expression completely lacked all recognition. Inuyasha's face relaxed as his flaring temper cooled.

'_This guy really has no idea who we are…'_

"Excuse me good sir," the young man began, "but I noticed that the young lady seems to be distressed…"

"Yeah?! What of it?!" Inuyasha barked..

Seeming completely unfazed, the man resembling Miroku simply chuckled before continuing. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shohi, and I'm actually a marriage councilor – but I also do couples, in case you were about to bite me regarding the marriage thing," he laughed pleasantly before flipping out a business card. "My office is just around the corner, a few blocks south of here… please drop by if you're feeling up to it. You're not alone my friend… we all experience problems with our significant other, whether it be job-related, in-laws causing kerfuffle…. or just troubles in the bedroom – "

"SHOHI!!" a voice shrieked from behind, causing the 'therapist' to cringle slightly.

"Aheheh…" he laughed nervously. "And this is my beautiful fiancée, Sonya."

Kagome had finally left her protective barrier in Inuyasha's arms and looked around curiously. "Huh, where?" she asked almost unconsciously.

"To the left," Shohi muttered under his breath.

Kagome looked in the direction which he indicated; spotting a brilliant blonde sipping coffee near a Starbuck's. She wore a tight fitting red dress with high heels. "Oh, wow… she's gorgeous," Kagome blinked, taking in the site of the young woman who seemed to be exactly the kind of thing Miroku would go for. Despite that, Kagome couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the image in front of her, her feminine bitterness kicking in. "…Does she always go around dressed like she's ready for a runway show?"

"Hmm?" Shiho stared at the younger girl in slight confusion. Looking to his left, he immediately spotted what she has been talking about. "OH—eh hahah, no no, that's not her… My fiancée is right there," he pointed towards a young woman who was seemingly smashing a rather burly looking man onto the trunk of a police cruiser while handcuffing him in the process, a vicious look on her face that could have rivaled that of Inuyasha just minutes ago. Shiho sighed. "The police officer…" he said finally, his shoulders slumping miserably.

Inuyasha felt himself choking on his own tonsils as he and Kagome stared at Sango, who was none other than their renowned demon slayer… now turned into a deadly female cop in modern day Tokyo. It all just seemed too fitting – Miroku the couples and marriage therapist, Sango the cop, and the two of them engaged.

"So, that's…Sonya?" Kagome asked mechanically.

"Sure is…" Miroku replied dully. "And she's going to kill me."

After mercilessly cramming the brute into the back of her cruiser, 'Sonya' stomped over, her iron-toed police shoes causing vibrations in the pavement – or at least it seemed that way to 'Shiho.'

"Eh, Sonya! My love!" he called out, his hands already up in front of him defensively.

"YOU!!" the young policewoman roared, "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CALL ME TO CONFIRM OUT APPOINTMENT WITH THE WEDDING PLANNER!"

"I-I know my sweetest, but – "

"BUT YOU NEVER DID! AND SO I LEFT WORK EARLY, MISSED HALF MY SHIFT TO GO THE WEDDING PLANNER'S OFFICE, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT SHE HAD CALLED YOU AND CANCELLED OUR APPOINTMENT HOURS AGO!!"

Shiho seemed to be at a loss of words- but not out of shame. It was pure fear that gripped him; his face as white as paper and his lips pursed in a tight line while a short moment of silence befell the group. Inuyasha couldn't stop the smirk that rose to his lips, watching the classic scene unfold in front of him while Kagome's mouth hung slightly open in shock at the Sango-like outburst. The moment of silence was short-lived however as a sharp smack echoed through the air when Sonya sent an open hand flying across Shiho's white face, which had now turned a painful-looking red on one side.

"Feh, and you call you call yourself a marriage councilor?" Inuyasha snorted, whipping his head to the side.

Sonya sighed. "I'm so sorry you had to see that," she apologized politely, her angry demeanor suddenly become almost docile. "My fiancé here can be quite the idiot, but he's a great therapist… for others" she added lightly.

"Ehh, that's alright," Kagome started nervously. "Planning a wedding is never easy…"

The young police woman sighed. "Yeah, especially budget-wise," she agreed. "Shiho's pay is totally dependant on his success rate with patients, and well, my pay isn't exactly royalty. We've been pretty lucky so far though with the therapy Shiho's been doing – I don't know how we'd pull this off without it."

"Why thank you my dearest," Shiho beamed, "It's always good to know someone appreciate's a true gentleman's work…"

"Oh, don't flatter yourself!"

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched. "Typical Miroku," he muttered under his breath, earning an anxious glance from Kagome.

"You know, it's strange," Sonya began. "But I feel like I've known you two for ages… and I really get along with you as well. Usually I'm not exactly the most agreeable of people, you know?" she laughed nervously.

"Yes well, you can be a bit rash sometimes, my love," Shiho added lightly.

His fiancee turned her head away. "Nobody asked you," she sing-songed in response, attempting to control her temper. "Anyway," she turned back to Kagome and Inuyasha. "Would you like to join us for dinner? Maybe this Saturday? We just bought a new place – it's not very big or anything, just a small house, but we haven't had any guests yet, so it would be nice to have someone over for the first time."

Inuyasha sniffed the air. "I don't know – "

"We'd love to!" Kagome interrupted suddenly, squeezing Inuyasha's arm.

Inuyasha looked at her surprised. "Well… ok then," he said slowly, his eyes still fixed on the girl beside him.

"Great!" Sonya exclaimed. "Now, I really got to get going, I'm still on my shift!"

"Ehhrm, me as well!" Shiho added as he spotted the blonde in the red dress making her way towards the bus stop. "I'll see you all on Saturday – oh and don't forget, if you have any problems, I'm the man to come to," he added before heading off in the direction of the blonde.

Inuyasha grimaced. "Can you believe that guy?!"

Kagome sighed. "Well, you know I really think those two are the reincarnations of our Sango and Miroku… it makes sense doesn't it?" she inquired. "The same happened to you…"

Inuyasha contemplated this for a moment. "That's true but, I made a wish with the Shikon jewel… that's why it happened to me. But them?"

Kagome smiled then as she looked up at her companion. "Maybe in your heart you wished for all of us to be together… and that was the only way the jewel could grant that wish – by reincarnating everyone," she proposed.

Inuyasha sighed, one of his ears twitching under the bandana. "Maybe you're right. Anyway, let's get going… it's been a crazy day."

"Yeah, you're right," Kagome nodded.

"Alright, I guess I"ll walk you back to your place," he said, turning in the direction of her home.

"Wait…" Kagome protested quiety, grabbing hold of the hanyou's wrist.

"Hmm? What is it?" he asked, turning around.

"Umm," the young woman looked towards the pavement. "I don't… really want to go home. Would it be ok if I stayed with you for now?" she asked timidly.

Inuyasha blinked, unsure of her suddenly quietness. "Yeah, it's fine. But you know it's pretty small and there isn't much room… it's up you though, I don't mind," he shrugged indifferently.

Kagome sighed in relief. "Thanks."

To be completely honest, Kagome had felt out of place with her own family for a while. Even her and Souta had slowly grown apart. While Kagome had grown up, gone to college, made new friends, and lived a normal life, her heart and soul remained in the feudal era with Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku. They were probably the only people she really felt at home with. Souta had moved on however, and had accepted the life this world had to offer. Although he still liked and maybe even almost idolized Inuyasha, it was probably the last thing on his mind as a teenager.

The walk home was relatively quiet, with little conversation between the two. Kagome was lost in her thoughts, thinking about the young couple they had just met resembling Sango and Miroku. In fact, she was almost positive that they were Sango and Miroku. Inuyasha seemed lost in his own daydreams as well. His eyes were closed and head slightly bowed as he walked, hands shoved in his jean pockets.

Kagome sighed again, wanting to break the awkward silence.

"Hey…. Kagome," Inuyasha suddenly spoke.

"Yes Inuyasha?"

"What if… what if me Sango and Miroku weren't the only ones that came to this world? He asked seriously.

"What do you mean?" Kagome looked up at him.

The hanyou's white eyebrows drew together in distress. "What if other things came here… things like Naraku."

"This better be good. I cancelled one of my appointments for you," the voice of a bored-sounding woman droned.

"Relax Kagura, this is better than any wedding plan you could ever arrange," a deep voice replied calmly.

"Oh really? I thought you were only interested in making money with this new wedding business crap, Naraku."

:"I must admit, renting out these fancy wedding halls and making money off dilerious couples was a good idea… but I sense something better," he laughed.

Kagura sighed, irritated. She wasn't quite sure how Naraku had managed to follow the half demon Inuyasha and his friends into the modern era where they had been reincarnated by the jewel, but it was definitely not something she had ever looked forward to. Obviously her and Naraku had kept their identities, seeing that they were not part of the wish granted by the stone's power. They had simple found a way to manipulate the portals opened by it and follow the hanyou's group into the twenty first century. However, Naraku had found a new hobby that kept him distracted from hunting down the remains of the jewel – and that of course, was making money… and lots of it.

"And what could possibly be better?" she sighed.

Naraku paused momentarily, examining his slave's expression of unwillingness to cooperate before finally replying, "The Shikon jewel."

Kagura would have tried to act surprised, but she just couldn't bring herself to do so. She had already met the reincarnations of Sango and Miroku, who were now an engaged couple for whom she was planning a wedding. Of course, she chose to omit this information from Naraku, knowing it would only encourage him to go after them, and the jewel. Nevertheless, it was too late now. He had already sensed the jewel's presence, and there was no doubt he would go after it, for it was like a drug to him – no, to any demon. No sum of money in the world would stop Naraku from trying to gain posession of the Shikon jewel once again.

"You don't seem to enthused Kagura," he continued, interrupting the woman's thoughts.

"Well, It's nothing new… so there's really nothing to be surprised about I suppose," she sighed indifferently, examining her nails.

Naraku's eyes narrowed at his defiant slave before replying in a dangerous tone. "Ineed."

Kagome stretched out on the old sofa, yawning as she sunk down into its soft cushions. She had no idea why she had felt so nervous asking Inuyasha if she could stay over. It shouldn't have been strange at all, yet she still felt anxious about asking. She heard the bathroom door creak open, causing her to sit up as Inuyasha emerged with a towel slung over his shoulder.

"I tried to clean up as best as I could so you don't die when you go inside to pee or something," he said lazily, walking over to her.

Physically scooting her over, he sat down next to her, flinging his legs up on the old coffee table and smacking the switch on the old miniature tv to turn it on.

Kagome looked over at him. "Aren't you tired?" she asked.

Inuyasha shrugged, grabbing a half empty beer from the table. "Not really I guess."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. '_Insensitive jerk. Maybe I'm tired, Inuyasha!'_

Despite her irritation, the girl said nothing, ignoring the fatigue which was slowly taking over. After about an hour, Kagome ceased to fight her exhaustion, allowing herself to be taken by sleep as her head lulled to the side and landed softly on Inuyasha's hard shoulder.

Inuyasha turned his head to the side and lazily examined the now sleeping girl. Sinking deeper into the sofa he adjusted himself into a more comfortable position so that she collapsed onto his chest. Sighing, he reluctantly wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her closer for warmth. It was so much easier to be bold while she was unconscious.

Listening to the even sound of her breathing, Inuyasha found himself relaxing, allowing him to slowly drift off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

The next morning came all too quickly for both Inuyasha and Kagome. The comforting warmth of being wrapped up in the hanyou's arms kept Kagome wishing the sun would just disappear. Even though she was still half asleep, she knew that once the hanyou awoke he would immediately draw himself away from her. Taking advantage of his sleeping form, she snuggled closer, burrying her nose in his chest while tangling her slim fingers into the material of his shirt. She heard him breathe a sigh, still asleep, and felt his arms tighten around her small frame. Smiling lightly to herself, Kagome enjoyed the moment, fighting off the morning sleepiness which threatened to take over. She wanted to be awake for every moment of this.

After what Kagome felt to be a very short amount of time, Inuyasha finally shifted, stretching his arms over his head causing a chilly draft to come over the young woman's body. The hanyou groaned sleepily, opening his eyes halfway to look around the room. He slowly became aware of the considerable weight on his chest, and looked down to find Kagome still snuggled up against him, pretending to be asleep. Smiling lazily, he gently lifted the girl and placed her next to him on the sofa, causing her eyes to flutter open and gaze up at him dreamily.

She grinned sheepishly, knowing she had been caught faking sleep. "Goodmorning," she all but chirped, feeling giddy about being in Inuyasha's arms for the entirety of the previous night.

"Morning," he replied gruffly, his voice cracked and rough from sleep.

Kagome giggled, admiring the sight before her. Her good mood made her feel brave, and willing to try things she normally wouldn't. The young woman leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the hanyou's toreso and rested her cheek against his chest. He didn't protest, only gently place his large hand on the small of her back. Looking up, Kagome stared admiringly.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked, the smile never leaving her face.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, but I would have gone for more if someone hadn't woken me up."

"Hey!" Kagome protested. "I hardly move in my sleep!"

Inuyasha's signature smirk slowly crept onto his face then. "Yeah, but it was still enough."

"You're ridiculous!" Kagome huffed angrily, but didn't move away. In fact, she noticed their faces seemed to be getting closer – not that she was complaining.

"Mm…You always try to be so angry," he hummed softly, his eyes still half closed and glazed over.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. She was getting ideas but wasn't sure if it would have been wise to act on them. Nevertheless, her mind was gradually losing control over her body, which seemed to just be moving on its own for some reason. She almost wasn't sure if it was Inuyasha's face drawing closer to hers, or if it was her that was getting closer to him – but the fact that the space between them was gradually closing caused her brain to simply stop functioning – his lips seemingly the only thing her mind could process.

And in that very moment, a shrill ring pierced the air, causing both Inuyasha and Kagome to jump apart, their minds and hearts racing a mile a minute. Kagome looked towards the coffee table where she saw her cellphone flashing and vibrating as it rang full force. Wailing with agony internally, she grabbed the small device off the surface of the table, and violently flipped it open. Before she even had the chance to answer snappily, her mother's voice could be heard from the other line, shrieking with worry. It was only then that Kagome remembered she had spent the entire night with Inuyasha, and away from home without calling or informing anyone. Feeling slightly guilty, she decided not to take her frustraion out on her worrysome mother, but only listened as the woman on the other end of the phone ranted away.

After listening for a good fifteen minutes, and appologizing for another five, Kagome snapped her phone shut with a sigh, almost completely forgetting about the kiss which had nearly transpired between her and Inuyasha.

'_Best not dwell on it,' _she thought to herself.

"Hey, isn't it Saturday?" Inuyasha finally spoke, also seeming to have forgotten about their moment just earlier.

Kagome blinked. "You're right, it is Saturday… which means we're going over to Miro – err I mean Shiho and Sonya's place for dinner."

Inuyasha sighed. "Great… just what I needed."

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!"

This only earned a discontented grumble from the hanyou, who had now crossed his legs and arms grudgingly on the couch like he usually did when irritated or unwilling.

The remainder of thed day had passed by relatively quickly, as evening finally arrived. Inuyasha and Kagome made their way across the city to the district where their Miroku and Sango look alikes lived.

Finally reaching their home, the two laid eyes upon a small, cozy looking house with an old corolla parked at the side.

Kagome was about to ring the doorbell when she heard the shrieking of a woman who's voice greatly resembled that of Sango.

"It's coming from the side!" Inuyasha exclaimed, his ears twitching at the sound.

Bolting towards the side of the house where the car was parked, the two spotted Sonya with deadly look on her face as she held a large kitchen knife in one hand. Standing in a defensive position, she faced the car, glaring at it as though ready to attack. Noticing Inuyasha and Kagome, her face lit up in recognition.

"KAGOME! INUYASHA!" she exclaimed. "QUICK INUYASHA, CORNER THE DEMON!"

Inuyasha blinked in confusion. "Demon? Where the hell do you see a demon?" he asked perplexed.

Kagome could feel sweat breaking out on her forehead. "I think she means the car Inuyasha… "

"BE GONE DEMON!!" came the voice of Shiho, followed by a charm being thrown at the vehicle.

Inuyasha paused, examining the two. "…Miroku… Sango?" he asked slowly.

"WHAT??" the two shouted in unison.

The hanyou gave them a bored look. "Yep, it's them alright."

Just as Sango was about to protest, the sound of a phone ringing interrupted her. The demon-slayer glanced down at her hip where the small device vibrated. Having some recognition flood back from her time spent in the modern era, she picked the phone out of its cover and flipped it open.

"Hello..?" she answered cautiously.

"Good evening, Sonya I presume?" replied a female voice that sounded awfully familiar.

"Yes…"

"This is your wedding planner, Kagura – "

"KAGURA?!" Sango shrieked into the receiver.

There was a pause on the other line. "…I see you've regained your memory, Sango. It's a shame you couldn't live the rest of your life with your dear monk happily ever after." Kagura stated coldly. "Be warned though, Naraku is looking for you and your little friends. But more importantly, he's searching for the shattered remains of the Shikon jewel."

Sango didn't reply.

"Oh, and by the way," Kagura continued. "Your appointment has been rescheduled for Monday at four o'clock. I look forward to planning your special day," she added almost sarcastically before hanging up.

A thousand thoughts exploded through the demon slayer's mind at that moment – many of them being memories from her new modern-day life flooding back, including her profession as a police officer, and her engagement to Miroku.

"Miroku?" she called out.

"Yes Sango?" he replied softly.

"I really hope this wedding is in our budget…"

_**YAYY! Done chapter 6… Please R&R**_


	7. Shattered: Chapter 7

**_:: Shattered ::_**

**_- Chapter 7 -_**

Inuyasha paced frantically throughout the tiny living room of Sango and Miroku's home. His three companions sat silently on the couch, their heads moving from left to right and back as they watched the hanyou.

"THIS IS A DISASTER!" he finally burst out, throwing his hands into the air to emphasize his point. "How is it even possible that Naraku survived? WE KILLED THE BASTARD!" he continued to shout.

"Calm down Inuyasha, I'm sure there's a feasible explanation for this!" Miroku spoke, attempting to settle the pacing half demon. "We all know Naraku is excellent at surviving, and he did hold almost all the jewel shards up until his death – so we don't know what he did to ensure his survival," he paused. "Speaking of which, where is the jewel exactly?"

This question caused Kagome to twitch slightly, a nervous blush rising to her cheeks. "A-about that…" she started.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I crushed it," he growled.

"YOU WHAT?!" Sango and Miroku exclaimed in unison.

"It's shattered," he said again. "It was the only way to break that spell on me that had me thinking I was a damn human!"

"If anything, it was an accident – there was no avoiding it I think," Kagome added in Inuyasha's defense. "But right now, it doesn't matter," she continued, taking out from her pocket a small jar filled with jewel shards. "We still have all the jewel shards…"

"Then why hasn't the jewel pieced itself back together?" asked Sango curiously. "Last time the jewel shattered, it scattered itself all over the place, but once we collected all the pieces, it automatically put itself back together."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Maybe those kinds of rules just don't apply to this world."

"Or maybe we're missing a piece," Miroku suggested gravely.

The other three looked at each other. "Miroku's right. The probability is that we're just missing a shard," agreed Sango.

There was a long pause as the four stared at each other.

"Shit."

XXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Naraku's eye twitched as he stared around the barn-like apartment in which the hanyou resided.

"Disgusting," he muttered under his breath as he looked around. "To think such a foul and unworthy half demon could slow me down this much."

Kicking aside a couple of dirty t-shirts on the floor, Naraku scanned the area, his eyes narrowing dangerous as he tried to sense the presence of any kind of abnormal power. "Where is it?" he glowered, before his eyes landed on something sparkling from between the floorboards just a few meters away.

"There!" he all but whispered, striding over to the area. As he outstretched his hand towards the shining object, it slowly began to rise from the dirty wooden floor, breaking through the crack and floating its way to Naraku. Enclosing his hand around the tiny shard, Naraku grinned maliciously.

"Now you are doomed Inuyasha – so long as I have possession of a single shard, you will never be able to make the jewel whole and keep it safe from me."

With that, the sinister figure dissipated, leaving the apartment seemingly unscathed and untouched.

Moments later, the door creaked open, an exhausted Kagome and frustrated Inuyasha making their way in, completely oblivious to what had transpired inside only minutes before.

"I don't understand how it's possible!" Kagome wracked her brain for answers. "How is it possible for that monster to still be alive?" she collapsed on the couch.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I have no idea Kagome, but no matter what happens – I promise I'm going to protect you from that… thing," he vowed evenly, his eyes focused and determined.

Kagome smiled nostalgically, recalling all the times he made that promise, and how he managed to keep it every single one of those times. He really was reliable and caring deep down, no matter how he may have appeared at first glance.

"Inuyasha," she said almost wondrously, causing the hanyou to turn towards her, one eyebrow quirked. Smiling, Kagome launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing him to her in a tight hug. "I know you'll always protect me…" she whispered almost sadly.

Sensing her turmoil, Inuyasha peered down at the girl, blinking with large innocent eyes. "Kagome…" he trailed off slowly, attempting to read her expression.

The phone rang then, causing both of them to jump while interrupting their moment. Reluctantly prying the delicate young woman off him, Inuyasha made his way to the old phone before lifting the receiver and barking some form of a greeting.

"Inuyasha!" came the response from the other line. It was Miroku – and he sounded frantic.

"What is it? Did you find the jewel shard?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, the hairs on his neck rising with anticipation.

"No!" shouted Miroku. "Buy I forgot to give you and Kagome your invitations to our wedding – "

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched momentarily before he slammed the phone down, effectively cutting off the jabbering monk. "I have more important things to do!" he yelled to no one in particular. A faint ruffling sound caught his attention then, causing him to turn around. He saw Kagome, gathering her things in a rush. "Hey, where are you going?" he asked, his voice gentler than it had been a moment ago.

Kagome paused, peering at the hanyou. "Home," she replied, as if the answer was obvious. When he didn't respond she continued, a faint smile on her lips. "I can't stay here forever you know – my family is worried about me. I have to get back to them you know."

This situation was just like when they were younger – Inuyasha always nagging at Kagome to come back to the feudal era, and her trying to explain that she had a family and a life back in her own time.

Inuyasha turned his head to the side. "Well they worry to much if you ask me!" he exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kagome giggled, taking in the sight before her. It brought back so many memories. "Bye Inuyasha," she said in an almost sing song voice before spinning around and heading for the door.

"H-Hey, wait!" he called out. "I'll see you soon, right?"

Kagome stopped in her tracks, staring at the door with almost blank eyes. After a few moments of silence, she seemed to regain herself, turning around with a smile on her face. "Of course Inuyasha! But you know, you're always welcome to visit me too," she added, and with that bounded out the old doorway. She wasn't quite sure why, but for some odd reason, Kagome felt extraordinarily giddy. She knew she shouldn't have felt that way, considering the fact that Naraku was running around modern-day Tokyo – but she couldn't stop thinking about her little slumber party with Inuyasha, running into Miroku and Sango, and the now the idea that Inuyasha wanted to see her again… and soon. He said soon!

Kagome was in a daze the entire bus ride home. She hardly remembered looking left and right before crossing the street, or paying attention the construction sight where Inuyasha worked. She didn't remember if anyone had made any comments or shout outs to her – because all she could think about was _him. _

"I'm home!" Kagome chirped as she entered her home, nearly smashing the door open with vigor. Her mother and brother jumped in surprise, their eyes wide as saucers as they stared curiously at the strange girl who had just entered their home.

"Careful Kagome!" her mother said after gathering herself. "You'll leave a crack in the wall if you open the door so roughly!" she scolded, examining the wall behind the door for any doorknob-shaped dents.

"Who are you and what the hell have you done to my sister?" Souta asked monotonously, staring at the girl in front of him with half-close eyes.

"What?? Can't a girl be cheery around here?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.

Souta grimaced. "Not TOO cheery please."

Kagome glared at her younger brother, her good mood dissipating quickly with his attitude. "Just because you're used to seeing me depressed all the time, doesn't mean I'm REQUIRED to be that way for the rest of my life!"

"Pfft!"

Their mother shook her head. "Now Souta, she's right. We should be happy when a family member is in a good mood. Speaking of which though, what has you in such a splendid mood anyway?" she asked with a smile.

"Inuyasha, duh!" Souta answered before Kagome could even muster up a thought.

Mrs. Higurashi blinked. "I'm sorry, who?"

Souta rolled his eyes. "Kagome's new boyfriend – that's who!"

"Souta!" his older sister burst out, her cheeks turning a tomato red, "it's not like that and you know it!"

Souta shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever?"

"Kagome," her mother began gently. "You know there's nothing wrong with seeing someone – it's perfectly normal, especially at your age. There's no need to act like a middle school girl about it."

Kagome glowered at her mother. She wasn't even sure why she felt so embarrassed about her brother's implications regarding her and Inuyasha. Her mother was right after all – there really shouldn't be anything embarrassing about it. Even if it were true – even if her and Inuyasha were together by some miracle, there was nothing wrong about it. If anything she should be telling her family, _"I have a new boyfriend," _with pride, and they should be congratulating her. Souta always proclaimed when he had a new girlfriend, and would soon after bring her home to meet the whole family. It really wasn't anything unusual – so why did she feel so embarrassed and frustrated? She could still feel the heat in her cheeks, and her heart raced as though she had just ran a marathon. What was her problem?

She saw Souta shaking his head. "Never mind boyfriend, you even deny having any friends Kagome. When are you just gonna learn to grow up?"

Kagome blinked. She really didn't know how to respond to that comment. She was going to deny, but after a moment's thought she realized Souta was right. Every time one of her family members inquired about a person she was spending time with, she always denied their friendship, and completely disregarded even the idea of being friends with them. Everyone was simply an acquaintance.

"Souta's right," her mother joined in. "If you meet someone you get along with, you shouldn't push them away. Why don't you invite this friend of yours over? It would be great to get to know them better – and you'll have some time to spend together as well. The city's so dangerous lately… I'd feel much more comfortable if you spent time here in the safety of your home rather than running around town where you might get hit by a car or someone might try to attack you…" she trailed off, thinking of a million other possibilities.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Mom I've been running around Tokyo for years now, and I do it every day to get to school – as do millions of people. I'm not a kid you can confine in the apartment!"

"No one said anything about confinement dear," her mother said gently, somewhat taken back by her daughter's sudden outburst. "I was only suggesting you let us meet your friend. You've been spending an awful lot of time with him as it is," she added, her face suddenly becoming tense before she continued. "You even spent the night at his place if I recall, without even telling me! And you won't let us meet him now? If that's the way it is, then really, Souta has a point about this boyfriend business – "

"ARGH! Fine!" Kagome groaned, smacking her forehead with her left hand. "I'll invite him over for dinner – but just to warn you he's not the most sociable of people and he'll be uncomfortable. That's why I was avoiding!"

"Gee sounds just like you sis," Souta snickered from his spot on the couch.

"Quiet Souta!" Kagome snapped before sighing. "Anyway, I'm exhausted and I have school tomorrow. I'm going to sleep," she mumbled before dragging herself to the bedroom.

_"I wonder what Inuyasha is up to right now?'_ she thought to herself after collapsing onto her small bed. _'Maybe he's thinking about me?' _she continued to wonder, allowing her thoughts to escape. Shaking her head, the young woman tried to bring herself back to reality. _'Don't be ridiculous Kagome – just go to sleep.'_

Normally these kind of thoughts would have kept her up all night, but thankfully her exhaustion made it impossible for her to stay awake any longer. Slowly everything began to fade to black, and before no time, sleep had consumed her.

XXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_"Do you take this woman to be your beloved wife?"_

_"I do."_

_Kagome blinked. _

_'Where am I?' she thought, looking around what seemed to be a church filled with people._

_'Is it Sango and Miroku's wedding?'_

_Everyone sat calmly, staring forward at the bride and groom at the alter. For some reason Kagome was at the back, and couldn't see anyone's faces, making it impossible to recognize people. _

_'I didn't know those two knew so many people. I thought for sure the wedding would be much much smaller, and less expensive.' _

_Suddenly there was silence, and everything seemed to be frozen. Standing up from her spot on the bench, Kagome made her way forward towards the couple. The flower girl, who happened to be Rin, stood to the side, but seemed frozen in time – just like the rest of the wedding's company. _

_"Sango, Miroku?" Kagome asked as she tried to catch their attention, but they faced away from her. Walking around so she could see them, Kagome was frozen to the ground when she saw what was in front of her. She had for some reason assumed, and been certain it was Sango and Miroku who were getting married - but shockingly enough, there stood her own mirror image in a wedding dress, holding a bouquet of perfectly arranged flowers. Beside her was Inuyasha, his face expressionless, and strangely enough – he was human. Kagome stumbled backwards. It was peculiar, because she should have felt happy seeing such a thing, but for some reason she felt nauseous. There was just a bad feeling to it all. Turning towards the people who had come to the wedding, she received yet another shock when she found everyone to be faceless. The front of their heads were blank voids, and they sat perfectly still as if consumer by what was happening on the alter. Kagome managed to spot her brother and mother simply by the shapes of their bodies and hairstyles. Her heart pounded in her chest at the sight, sweat beginning to break out on her forehead in fear and anxiety. _

_'What the hell is going on?!' her mind screamed. _

_A sinister laugh echoed throughout the church, as everything began to swirl around her, causing Kagome to stumble and fall to her knees._

_"Are you enjoying the wedding, Kagome?" and oddly familiar voice inquired._

_Kagome gritted teeth. She was suddenly experiencing a ridiculous migraine. Struggling, she looked up, a blurry yet once again familiar figure standing at the back of the church where she had first been. She tried to focus her eyes, squinting to regain her vision – but it was no use. However, it didn't seem to matter. Kagome already knew who it was._

_"N-Naraku," she whispered almost mechanically, knowing it most certainly could only be him. _

_"Wake up Kagome," he said flatly. "Just wake up."_

_"…What?"_

_…………….._

"Wake up Kagome!!"

"Mmm?"

"Just wake up!"

The owner of the voice shook her roughly, a sharpness digging into her shoulders. Her eyes fluttered open then, and it only took a few moments of her sight to adjust and sharpen.

"Inu…yasha?" she said slowly, staring up into glaring golden eyes. "What the hell? What time is it?"

Inuyasha sighed. "It's five in the morning – but you have to come, it's an emergency!"

It took all of Kagome's willpower not to sit him at that moment – if she could. "What is it?"

Inuyasha looked at her uncertainly. "It's your brother," he began slowly. "We found him out on the street unconscious – and he won't wake up."

Kagome sat up in an instant, her heart pounding like a basketball. "WHAT?!" she could already feel the lump of coal forming in her throat.

"And what's worse," the hanyou continued. "There's a spider mark on his spine."

**_A/N: Yay! I updated faster than I thought I would. I actually typed this chapter up at work XD because I was pretty bored . Anyway, read and REVIEW!! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!! Seriously XD your input means everything to me, whether its criticism or praise. REVVVIIIEWWWW continues_**


	8. Shattered: Chapter 8

**_A/N: Hi everyone! I'm really sorry this update took so long. I was in Europe for 4 weeks, and you know how internet is in eastern Europe…aka practically none-existent _**

**_- Shattered -_**

**_:: Chapter 8 ::_**

A cold shiver ran down Kagome's spine as she drank in the sight before her. There was no doubt that the spider marking on her brother's back was Naraku's doing – she had seen all one too many times. Looking up, the college student found a very distressed looking Sango, her eyes wide like saucers and her skin pale as she stared down at Souta. Kagome was certain it brought back many unpleasant memories regarding her own younger brother, Kohaku.

"Come on, we better take him home," Miroku broke in calmly, trying to unfaze the group while scooping up the younger teen and carrying him towards the car. Kagome had been so distressed that she stole her mother's car in order to reach her younger brother as quickly as possible. Letting out a shaky breath, the young women took a step back to balance herself, nearly tumbling from the overwhelming emotions that took over. Inuyasha reacted immediately, his arm shooting out to take hold of her delicate frame.

"Hey, be careful. You should push yourself so hard," he said quietly, trying to sound as gentle as possible. "I'll drive us back. We wouldn't want you falling asleep at the wheel and crashing the three of us into a street pole."

Kagome eyed him wearily, trying to give off a sarcastic expression, but failed miserably due to her exhausted state. "Do you even know how to drive?" she asked sceptically.

The hanyou wrinkled his nose, insulted at the tone of her inquiry. "Of course I know – it's just that I don't have a license."

Kagome waved him off. "No worries then. As long as you drive adequately we shouldn't have to worry about you get pulled over."

Inuyasha nodded to this, following Miroku to the Higurashi car and taking the driver's seat, while Kagome slid into the passenger side with Souta sleeping peacefully in the back. As they drove back, it didn't take long for Kagome to doze off to the sound of the engine, the rhythmic flashing of lights causing her to grow more and more drowsy with every passing second. As she slipped into unconsciousness, her small frame fell to the left, landing softly against Inuyasha's right side. He glanced over at the young woman, noting the serene look on her face as she slept soundly. Exhaling, he continued driving, trying his hardest to focus on the road in front of them.

Once reaching the Higurashi residence, Inuyasha hauled out the two siblings, flinging one over each shoulder and somehow managing to jump up to their bedroom window. Once inside, he lay Souta down on his bed, and then Kagome on her own. She stirred momentarily, causing the hanyou to freeze in his tracks in an attempt not to wake her. After he was certain the miko reincarnation was fast asleep, he slowly crept off the bed and turned to make his way towards the window – but not until something managed to grab a hold of the back of his t-shirt.

"Hey- what the…" Inuyasha trailed off, turning to see Kagome's small fist tangled in the fabric of his shirt.

"Stay," she muttered sleepily, almost as though in a dream-like state.

Not wanting to upset the girl, Inuyasha plunked himself down on the bed, allowing her to pull him closer and wrap her arms around his midsection while comfortable placing her head on his shoulder.

Sighing apprehensively, Inuyasha shifted his body to get more comfortable. He had already figured he'd be stuck in the cramped room for the entirety of the night – might as well make the best of it. His jaw was clenched and his body stiff and tense with nervousness. Why he was nervous wasn't beyond him, but he figured this entire situation wouldn't end well tomorrow morning. The hanyou closed his eyes, wishing sleep would simply take over him and he'd wake up six hours later being smacked and yelled at by Kagome. Eventually the darkness did sweep over the jumpy half demon, leaving him in a restless, yet conveniently time-wasting slumber.

Morning came quickly from that point on, and the smell of fried eggs and rice filled the small apartment as Mrs. Higurashi bustled around the stove, humming cheerfully as she prepared breakfast.

"Kagome! Souta! Breakfast will be ready in five minutes – hurry up and get out of bed you two… it's a new day!" she chirped as loud as humanly possible. Normally, this would have gotten the two groaning and rolling out of bed, but after last night's kerfuffle Kagome and Souta really weren't up to being conscious anytime soon.

Slightly irritated, the Higurashi head made her towards her children's bedroom, twisting the knob and flinging the door open with her usual vigor. "Souta! Kago- oh my goodness…" the middle-aged woman trailed off as she drank in the sight on Kagome's side of the room.

Inuyasha stirred then, stretching his arms out over his head while letting out a feral-sounding yawn, barely conscious as his half-open amber eyes scanned the room, only to land on a very shocked-looking Mrs. Higurashi. He could immediately feel tiny beads of sweat breaking out on the side of his forehead, a million thoughts running through his mind – particularly excuses he could use as reasoning for his current location and position.

"W-well then… hello," The older woman in the doorway tried to compose herself as she greeted Inuyasha, evidently still quite stunned. "You must be Kagome's new… friend, that we've heard so much about," she commented politely.

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow. "Sure."

Finally giving in to the ruckus, Kagome began to stir, rolling over towards the now sitting Inuyasha, her head settling itself comfortably in the hanyou's lap. He jumped at the sudden sensation, a edginess crawling up his spine as he avoided the middle-aged woman's gaze. "K-Kagome…. Wake up!" he pleaded frantically, poking the young woman in an attempt to bring her back into the realm of the conscious.

"Mm," Kagome hummed in complaint, swatting irritably at Inuyasha's clawed hand. "Leave me alone," she muttered sleepily into her pillow, completely oblivious to the occurrences around her.

Frustrated Inuyasha stood from the bed. "KAGOME!" he yelled, effectively snapping the college student out of her dozing. She jumped then, her hair standing on end from the sudden outburst.

"WHAT?!" she shrieked at the hanyou, her face flushed with anger as she clenched her fists at her sides.

Inuyasha's face relaxed then, his eyes suddenly pleading as he tried to subliminally signal to Kagome the fact that her mother was standing right behind them, her feet planted like cement. Turning slowly, Kagome nervously looked up at her almost hysterical mother.

"Ehh, good morning Mama," she laughed lightly.

"Good…. Morning dear. So I'm guessing this is the friend we heard so much about?" she inquired immediately, not wasting any time.

"Um…" Kagome trailed off trying to think of the least embarrassing response possible, considering Inuyasha was directly in their presence.

"Well why don't you join us for dinner?" her mother directed to Inuyasha, her expression becoming chirpy once again. "We'd love to get to know you!"

Inuyasha twitched, feeling himself almost reel back with the pressure. "Um, sure…" he replied, not knowing how to decline in that moment.

"GREAT!"

**XXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"So, why don't we begin by discussing your budget for this special day," Kagura said calmly while eyeing the nervous looking pair on the other side of her desk. Her eyebrow twitched in irritation at their befuddled stares. "Please don't look at me as though I've grown another head – I have no intention of ambushing you, nor do I follow orders from Naraku. He has lost his control over me."

Sango straightened in her chair. "Lost his control?" she asked curiously.

Kagura remained as composed as ever. "When we arrived here, I managed to nab the soul of a dead woman who was just crossing over. Not to mention, Naraku was greatly weakened after your little squabble with him, giving me the chance to take back my heart. Now I am free of him and work here like any other normal human being. Don't cause me any trouble, or I might just change my mind," she threatened.

Just as Sango was about to retort, Miroku grabbed her arm, easing her down into the chair. "That's fine Kagura – glad to hear you're free of that pesky Naraku," he laughed nervously, trying to break the deadly glaring contest between the two women. "Now, shall we being the planning?" he offered.

"Of course," Kagura replied calmly, pulling out a series of binders. The next hour was spent in discussion regarding the location, time, date, and other various details of the upcoming wedding. They had already managed to decide on the location – an apparently beautiful banquet hall perfectly suited for the ceremony and reception.

**XXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"She WHAT?!" Sango shrieked as she listened intently to Kagome's story whilst on her new mobile telephone. "And she just invited him over for dinner…. Right after walking in you two?!" the young woman received some awkward glances from bypasses as she continued.

"Ehh, Sango… really, you don't have to yell like that. You're probably getting funny looks…" Kagome said quietly trying to calm her friend down.

"WHO CARES?? I'M A POLICE OFFICER!" she barked into the phone.

Kagome jumped slightly at the sudden outburst, twitching at the demon slayer's reasoning. "Is everything alright over there? You sound somewhat… frustrated?"

Sango sighed, finally lowering her voice. "Well, it looks like Naraku really is here. The only good news is that Kagura isn't with him anymore – apparently she got her heart back… so we shouldn't have to worry about her."

Kagome's heart sank as she remembered the large spider on her brother's back. He seemed fine, but she already knew how Naraku worked – and it was when everything seemed fine that one could expect otherwise. "Yeah…hey listen Sango, it's almost six so I have to go get ready and help my mother with the rest of dinner. I'll see you tomorrow after class probably with Inuyasha or something."

"Well, alright… have fun," Sango sighed, snapping her phone shut.

Kagome exhaled miserably before heading off to the shower. "Yeah right."

XXxXxXxXxXxXxXx 

Inuyasha stood in front of the large apartment building, contemplating what the hell he was doing, or why he had even accepted this invitation in the first place. His nerves were very delicate at that moment, and any passing vehicle or slightly louder than usual noise caused him to jump twenty feet into the air, ready for battle.

Finally gathering some courage, the hanyou made his way into the lobby, promptly searching the listings for Higurashi. After beeping the number, Souta's voice came onto the line.

"Who is it?"

"Uhh, it's me, Inuyasha," he all but barked, trying to sound calm.

"Oh hey Inuyasha! Come on up."

A buzzing noise sounded then, indicating the front door had unlocked. Pushing through, Inuyasha made his way to the elevator, already having memorized the floor and apartment number from his previous visits – not that he would need to know with his sense of smell either way.

After what seemed like an eternity on the vertically travelling contraption, Inuyasha briskly made his way to the door, knocking lightly. After a few moments, the door opened, and Mrs. Higurashi's warm face greeted the hanyou.

"Hello! I'm so glad you could make it," she chirped, the smile never leaving her face. "Please, come in – oh and let me take your jacket for you. Kagome will be ready in just a minute."

Inuyasha just nodded, finding himself at a loss of words with discomfort.

"Hey Inuyasha!" Souta greeted, slapping the already antsy hanyou on the back causing him to twitch, gritting his teeth in irritation. "How's it going buddy?"

"Alright I guess," the hanyou replied. "How are you… you were out like a log last time I saw you," he asked, eyeing the boy carefully. He seemed to be perfectly in tact, and not even a whiff of Naraku's influence on him. It was all just too strange.

Souta laughed nervously, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I really don't know what happened there… just passed out I guess?"

His mother shook her head. "Souta, you've been overexerting yourself – you really need to take it easy."

"I'm fine mom…"

"Mommmmm! Souta stole my things out of the bathroom again!!" came the angry shriek of Kagome as she emerged from the bathroom sporting nothing but a towel around her still wet, naked form.

Inuyasha's eyes widened comically as he spat out the water which he had just began drinking, spewing it all over the table – and consequently Mrs. Higurashi's fine cooking.

Noticing the hanyou sitting at the table, staring at her, Kagome squeaked, attempting to cover herself more adequately. "INUYASHA!!!" she screamed angrily.

Inuyasha stiffened. "W-WHAT?! THIS WASN'T MY FAULT!"

It had to have been impulsive, out of sheer memory of all the ridiculous experiences that they had shared as teenagers – but the next words which exited Kagome's mouth would cost her family thousands and thousands of yen in repairs.

"SIT BOY!!"


	9. Shattered: Chapter 9

**_A/N: Thank you everyone for your reviews! I'm sorry I'm slow TT_**

**_Shattered_**

**_- Chapter 9 -_**

Inuyasha rubbed his delicate nose as he sat glaring venomously at a riled up Kagome from across the small dinner table. He was certain if she had screamed any louder he would have gone smashing through the floorboards and ended up in the lobby of the apartment building. Glancing to his left, he eyed the now dented floor, which conveniently took for in the shape of his body. The hanyou cussed silently, avoiding Kagome's gaze and focusing on Mrs. Higurashi, who was currently running back and forth from the kitchen to the table, bringing various cooked dishes with her.

It was hard for the hanyou to concentrate on the chattering coming from the older Higurashis while having his nose invaded by the scent of food. Forgetting about the earlier incident with Kagome, Inuyasha dug in, hardly noticing the astonished looks he received for his unique table manners.

"So… Inuyasha…" Kagome's mother began. "In what part of Tokyo do you live?"

Inuyasha looked thoughtful for a moment as he chewed on his food. "Well, I guess you could just call it the slums. It's close to the area they're rebuilding now cause it's so old and full of crime," he replied shamelessly.

Mrs. Higurashi glanced at her daughter who seemed to be choking on her food as the hanyou spoke. "I see… do you have any family nearby?"

"Nah, all dead," he said rather nonchalantly. "Well, except for my jerk brother… but no one knows where that bastard is. We never really considered each other family anyway."

"Uh…yes… that's….unfortunate," commented the older Higurashi, evidently surprised at the young man's attitude – and even more so by her daughter's affiliation with such a person.

Kagome stared at her mother, analyzing her expressions. She found it odd that her and Souta were the only ones aware of Inuyasha's identity. Her mother seemed to have absolutely no recollection of the hanyou, or her time with him in the feudal era. Originally she had thought it was a good thing, but she could already note the disapproving looks her mother gave Inuyasha, and it bothered her that she couldn't remember how much she had approved of him back in her high school days. He had protected her after all, and for that Kagome's mother was very grateful. However, it was evident that now all she saw was an uncivilized, uneducated, poor construction worker with no manners or knowledge of how to treat a woman. Kagome sighed, taxed by the situation before her. Not only did she have to deal with Inuyasha himself, the presence of Naraku, and worry about the her little brother who was found lying unconscious on the street with no recollection of it, but now her mother would give her a hard time for her affiliations as well.

"So how long have you and Kagome been seeing each other?"

The question had Kagome's head snapping up and Inuyasha's ears twitching as he coughed out a brussel sprout.

Inuyasha's voice sounded raspy as he spluttered and made an attempt to form a sentence with little success.

"Six weeks," interrupted Kagome, her face like stone. "We met on my way to school. He saved my life at the construction site where he works. A plank of wood nearly fell on my head and Inuyasha managed to get me out of the way before my brains splattered."

Mrs. Higurashi blinked in astonishment. "Kagome! I had no idea!" she exclaimed. "You should have told me this before!" Her eyes moving wildly from Kagome to Inuyasha, who was becoming extremely uncomfortable at the dinner table.

Once the food had disappeared, Mrs Higurashi stood from her place at the table and began to carry the empty plates and dishes back into the kitchen. Souta followed, helping scrape the remaining food away and wash the dishes.

"Kagome, you and Inuyasha feel free to go out if you'd like. Souta and I will take care of this," her mother called out from the kitchen.

"Sure, thanks ma," Kagome replied, before turning to Inuyasha. "Let's go," she all but whispered, grabbing his clawed hand and pulling him out of the chair.

"Where are we going?" he asked curiously, his eyes wide and innocent looking.

"Out of here," Kagome hissed, yanking him towards the front door.

"Hey, hey, easy you two! I know you're both young and the hormones are raging, but try not to make it that obvious!" Souta grinned, his head poking out from the kitchen doorway.

Kagome's face darkened a few shades as she glowered at her younger brother. "Quiet, brat!" she barked back before disappearing through the front door, promptly slamming it after her.

"Hey, Kagome…" Inuyasha started hesitantly.

"What is it," the girl in front of him all but snapped.

Gulping, Inuyasha continued. "Why did you tell your mother we were going out?"

Kagome stopped in her tracks, trying to come up with an answer. "I don't know…" she started. "I feel like even if I told her we weren't together she wouldn't believe me. The suspicion would get to her and then she wouldn't leave me alone. This way I would have settled her thoughts and she probably won't bring it up again…"

Inuysha paused. "But, does the thought of us being together bother you so much that you'd get irritated at her for asking? You really want her to drop it that badly?"

Kagome's eyes widened. "Ahh… no, it's not like that. I just thought it would be easier for the both of us is all… if it bothered me I would have reacted much differently, wouldn't I?"

Inuyasha scoffed and turned his head to one side while crossing his arms over his chest. "How should I know?!" he barked nervously.

Kagome relaxed then, a smile creeping onto her face as she took in the hanyou's signature position. Nose in the air, head to the side, eyes closed, arrogant frown, and ears twitching nervously. Giggling to herself, Kagome launched forward, trapping Inuyasha in a tight embrace while wrapping her arms around his strong middle.

Inuyasha tensed as he opened his eyes and looked down at the girl, confused.

"W-what are you doing… Kagome?" the hanyou stuttered.

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, pushing back her pride. Shaking her head was the only way she could think of responding. After a long pause, "Nothing," was all she said before letting go and walking towards the elevators.

"Hey Inuyasha…" she started, slowing her pace before the elevator.

"Yeah?" came his reply.

"I was wondering, would it be ok if I stayed at your place tonight?" the college student asked timidly.

Inuyasha blinked, not quite sure how to respond to the odd request. "What for?" he asked suspiciously, his amber eyes narrowing slightly.

The elevator doors clinked shut.

"Well, I'm worried about Souta… but somehow I just have a feeling that it would be best if I wasn't around him tonight. I don't know, it's just a gut feeling…. I'm being stupid." She looked away, staring at her reflection in the elevator mirror.

Inuyasha looked thoughtful. "Mm, no you're probably right. I can't help but feel like Naraku is controlling your brother in some way without his awareness. If something were to happen I don't know if I could ever forgive myself. For once you actually have a smart idea…"

Kagome huffed and thwacked him on the back of the head. "Oh please!" she exclaimed. "My ideas are always good – and definitely better than anything you come up with!"

Strangely enough, instead of barking back another insult, Inuyasha smirked, seemingly pleased with himself for the time being. "What will your mother say?" he inquired, the crooked smile never leaving his lips.

Kagome's eye twitched at the question. "I… don't think I should think about it. I'll just give her a call later on and tell her what's going on. Maybe I'll even tell a little lie… then again she probably won't believe me. I don't have any really close girlfriends she knows about or would believe I'm staying with anyway."

Inuyasha grunted. "Whatever. As long as I don't get any heat for this later on."

"Of course not," Kagome sweat dropped.

It took a full hour and twenty-four minutes to get to Inuyasha's place. For some reason there seemed to be some kind of construction or accident clean up on every street their bus turned on. Inuyasha was prepared to simply grab Kagome and fly out the window, jumping from building to building until they reached their destination. Kagome threatened to sit him, causing the hanyou to sink into his bus seat, muttering and cussing obscenities about modern Japanese society and their "rules."

Upon arriving at the tiny apartment, the pair realized the elevator was broken, forcing them to climb a rather large amount of stairs.

"Inuyasha… slow down!" Kagome panted as she struggled up her fifth flight of steps, dragging herself up the railing as she went. Inuyasha stood a few stairs above her, looking down with an irritated expression.

"Oh come on! I don't have time for this!" Hopping down to Kagome's level, he grabbed the unsuspecting girl and flung her over his shoulder without hesitation, despite her astonished cry. Leap at full speed, he managed to wiz up the staircase and reach his floor in no time at all. Mumbling something about humans, he settled a now dizzy and disoriented Kagome down on the floor in his hallway.

The priestess reincarnation stumbled, the entire hallway spinning. She wondered why the hell the numbers on those doors were upside down. Slightly panicked, she stepped back and lost her balance, making a tumble towards the floor.

Jumping quickly, Inuyasha caught the confused girl, holding her upright. "Sorry about that," he said seriously, leading her towards his door.

Once inside, Kagome had managed to recover and was now rather infuriated. "INUYASHA!!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs, causing the hanyou to flinch.

"Yes…?" he replied quietly, expected hell to break loose.

Kagome paused, the stress veins in her temples now visible. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling moments later.

"SIT!"

Inuyasha only had a fraction of a moment to panic and feel his heart race before he felt himself being pulled into the ground and smashed by the hard sensation of dirty floorboards.

The hanyou placed a hand on either side of his head, which was now imbedded into the floor. "That… was not….NECESSARY," came his muffled growl as he pushed against the wood with all his strength, managing to yank his head out.

"Of course it was necessary!" Kagome refuted. "You're too rough!"

"Well you're too slow!" Inuyasha barked back, barring his teeth.

"I'm human!"

"That's not an excuse!"

"And being half demon isn't an excuse to be brutish!"

Inuyasha twitched at this, taking a step back.

Suddenly feeling guilty, Kagome's expression softened. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that!" she said quickly, trying to patch up before things got any more out of hand.

"No, it's not that," he replied quietly. "Someone's been here. And it wasn't anyone friendly."

Growling, Inuyasha began searching around his home, sniffing as he went. Once he returned to the main room, he straightened suddenly, eyes widening as a realization suddenly came to him.

"No, it can't be!" he hissed to himself before taking off towards the closet.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Kagome pleaded sounding concerned.

Inuyasha spun around with a force that sent a gust of air by Kagome. "The jewel!" he shouted, panic in his voice. "The jewel's gone!"

Kagome's eyes widened dramatically. "But it was shattered…"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, and I collected all the pieces I could find and wrapped them up and hid them. Some bastard snuck in here and stole my collected pieces!"

Kagome tried to stay calm but could help the feeling of dread that inched into her gut. "Did you find ALL the pieces?" she asked.

The hanyou shook his head. "No, there's still a few missing that are probably hanging around here and there. I guess it turns out that's a good thing for now."

Kagome sighed, nodding in relief. "Yeah, at least whoever took it won't be able to put it together."

Looking up, she noted the evident frustration and anger on Inuyasha's face. Frowning, she made her way to him and drew her arms around his neck, gently lowering his head to meet her own in an affectionate gesture.

"It's ok…" she tried to comfort him. "We'll get it back. I think we both already know who's behind this anyway."

The hanyou nodded again, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Naraku."

"And I thought he was dead…" Kagome pondered to herself.

"He was," Inuyasha replied. "But I'm sure the hate in his soul… that soul that had survived so much death… it must have become embedded in the jewel, keeping him alive. And when the jewel reawakened here along with me, it must have awakened his filthy soul as well. After that he must have found some way to retain a body. Now he's after it again…"

Kagome nodded. "You're probably right. But he has to be stopped. I don't want another feudal era happening here in my hometown – in my time! I don't know, there's no point in getting worked up right now. It's really late… why don't we just call it a night?"

Inuyasha seemed lost in thought, his eyes fixed on the ground. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Sounds like a good idea."

Kagome yawned, releasing her grip on the hanyou and reaching up to stretch her arms. However, before she could manage to do so, Inuyasha grabbed her small arms and pulled them back down, drawing her in close to his body and earning a surprised yelp from the girl. Leaning in with his signature smirk, he brought his lips right to her ear before whispering, his breath tickling her skin.

"That's your second one of the night."


	10. Shattered: Chapter 10

A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long. I wanna thank everyone for being so patient with me and reviewing. I love you all! Here's chappie 10! Enjoy!

:: Shattered ::  
- Chapter 10 -

The rosy glint of the shard of the shikon jewel shone dimly in the suffocating darkness. Naraku stroked it caressingly, his filth defiling it gradually, causing the tiny piece to now sparkle a bloody red.

"So I hear you've bee plotting against me," he stated coolly.

"Nothing you haven't heard before," Kagura retorted, sticking her nose in the air as she crossed her arms. She really couldn't stand his stench.

Naraku laughed – an empty, soulless laugh. "You're right – it's nothing new… it's just you're being so much more forward about it rather than plotting behind my back like a coward," he all but spat the last word.

The demoness flinched, but remained composed. "Things are different now," she stated quietly. "You don't own me anymore…"

"You're right about that too… but fear not, my Kagura. Soon I won't have to own you specifically, for everything in this world alone will belong to me."

"You're sick," she grimaced.

"And you, are powerless."

_**XXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Kagome stirred, feeling warmth and comfort all around her. The sun's rays beat down on her face, much to her annoyance, urging her to get up, even though she really didn't feel like doing so. She buried her face into what felt like a warm rock, snuggling close to the heat that radiated next to her body. It wasn't until the object started moving that consciousness began to float back to the young woman, the events of the previous night flooding her mind. She shook her head, dismissing it as a dream, and snuggling further into the array of blankets and unfamiliar object nestled amidst them. Sighing, Kagome wrapped her arms around whatever lay next to her, forgetting all about the morning light, which urged her to get moving.

Her new body pillow groaned and shifted for the second time, slinking an arm around the girl's waist. She opened her eyes, seriously thinking about what could possibly be in her bed this time. At first everything was a blur, but as her eyes adjusted, Kagome began to panic as she failed to recognize the room she was in as being her own.

Her eyes searched wildly, looking for anything that would possibly indicate familiarity. Scanning frantically, they landed on something white, and unmistakably recognizable.

'_Inuyasha,'_ Kagome thought with a sigh. Normally she'd mentally force herself to panic, jumping and screaming the forbidden words that would send him flying through the mattress and into the front lobby… but this time, Kagome decided to simply remain calm, and appreciate the sight before her.

Their faces were mere inches apart, granted that the two of them had been snuggling increasingly closer throughout the night. Inuyasha's arm was wrapped protectively around her waist, pressing her body tightly against his own. His face was peaceful; eyes shut and every feature relaxed – his mouth slightly open as he breathed evenly, a small amount of drool soaking into the pillow that his head rested on.

She hardly noticed herself smiling, her face moving instinctively closer to his. He looked absolutely adorable, with no sign of any scowls or grimaces. Feeling rather out of her own body, Kagome continued to lean forward, her lips slightly parted as they inched closer to the obliviously sleeping hanyou's face. With her eyes half closed, Kagome paused, something in the back of her mind vaguely screaming for her to stop and regain control of her own body. Just as she hesitated, Inuyasha stirred, his amber eyes sparkling gold as they opened ever so slowly. He seemed unsure of what was happening- as though Kagome's face only an inch from his own may have been a dream or some hallucination he had been experiencing. Kagome, on the other hand, was internally panicking.

Before Inuyasha could register what was happening, the young raven haired woman had pressed her lips against his, squeezing her eyes shut as she attempted to block out the potential look on his face.

Inuyasha felt as though his heart had stopped for that moment – a moment that was beginning to pass like an eternity in slow motion. His eyes remained open, staring at what he could make of Kagome's flushed face. Not knowing whether to break the kiss or not, the hanyou remained still, weighing out the pros and cons of any course of action he could take.

Before managing to make a decision, Kagome pulled away, her eyes still squeezed shut as her face burned crimson.

Speechless, Inuyasha opened his mouth, only managing to let out an unintelligible, "Uhh…"

"I'm sorry!!" Kagome exclaimed, turning away and refusing to look at him.

Unsure of what to do, the hanyou stared blankly at the girl, his eyes round in something akin to confusion. "What for?" he asked, sounding clueless.

"Are you stupid or something?!" Kagome ground out without making any breaks between words as she turned to face him again, her face still flushed.

Inuyasha blinked. "I don't know, maybe? What's got your panties in a twist anyway?"

Kagome ground her teeth. She was certain her face had turned purple by now from all the humiliation she felt.

"NOTHING!!" she shrieked, causing Inuyasha to flinch. Kicking the covers off her legs, Kagome stormed away into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her, some flakes chipping off the old crusty ceiling in consequence.

"What the hell was that all about," Inuyasha muttered under his breath as he rolled over, yanking the covers over his head to block out the obnoxious daylight. He could hear the water running in the bathroom, and wondered what Kagome was doing – a thought which was quickly diverted by the sound of his stomach growling for food.

Giving up on sleep, the hanyou flipped off the covers and made his way to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, Inuyasha muttered some more obscenities under his breath as he stared at the compartment's emptiness.

Feeling his stomach growl once more, the hanyou frowned, wondering why he hadn't notice his fridge empty earlier. He heard Kagome approach from behind, but made no move to turn and face her; afraid she was still angry at him for reasons unknown.

"So, what's for breakfast?" she asked in an oddly cheerful voice.

Feeling no hostility emanating from the young woman, Inuyasha turned to look at her and was surprised to find her in a rather pleasant-looking mood. Wrinkling his nose, he eyed her up and down, wondering what caused the sudden change in attitude. He inhaled slowly, sniffing the air for signs of that god forsaken monthly cycle of hers, but failed to find anything of the sort.

"Guess it's not that time of the month," he murmured to himself, his eyes still locked on the raven haired girl before him.

"What?" Kagome asked, a confused expression on her face.

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortable. "Ahh, nothing. My fridge is just as starved as I am… sorry," he apologized, feeling a little embarrassed for being such a bad host.

"It's alright," Kagome commented pleasantly. "We can just go out for breakfast. I've been dying to go to one of those all-day breakfast places that stuff you till you're sick," she added with a smile, acting as though nothing had previously happened.

"Well, sure I guess. Just got my pay check this week – so I guess I can spend some, and then do some damn grocery shopping," the hanyou thought out loud, sighing at the deliberation of having to mull through the supermarket for the sake of his fridge.

"Well let's get going then! I'm starved!" Kagome exclaimed with a fake enthusiasm. She turned quickly, awkwardly making her way to the front door and slipping on her sneakers. Inuyasha slowly followed, wary of the girl's strange behaviour since this morning.

The elevator ride was excruciatingly silent. Inuyasha glanced over at Kagome, who purposefully turned her head the opposite way so she wouldn't have to look at him.

'_What the hell did I do this time?'_ he thought, irritated. Whenever Kagome would get angry, she'd snap, and then ignore him like this – only this time her avoidance seemed to be more out of some kind of awkwardness rather than anger.

By the time they reached the café, Inuyasha was just about ready to explode.

"So, what do you feel like?" he asked casually, trying to pull words out of the girl's mouth.

"I-I really don't know. Maybe eggs…" Kagome trailed off after her initial stutter.

"What's up with you? You're acting funny."

Drawing her eyebrows together, Kagome focused on the menu. "I don't know what you're talking about," she all but snapped, her eyes never leaving the text.

The hanyou glared daggers at her. "Don't act dumb, Kagome… you've been avoiding me all morning. First you snap at me for hell knows what, then you try to act all cheery and when it doesn't work you run from me like a cave bat from sunlight."

Kagome's expression softened, yet she still refused to look up. Pausing, her eyes shifted to the side.

"Sorry," she apologized.

Inuyasha squirmed, not used to her sudden petty demeanour.

"You don't have to apologize," he scolded roughly. "I just don't get you women…"

"Are you guys ready to order?" a waitress interrupted, taking out her pen and pad of paper.

"Uhh, sure… I'll have the meat lover's steak, potato bites, and three eggs combo, sunny-side up, extra sausages and extra toast with peanut butter, and a glass of milk," Inuyasha ordered, reading off the menu as the waitress scribbled down the gigantic order.

"And you miss?" she asked, turning to Kagome.

Kagome sweat dropped, processing Inuyasha's speech before deciding on her own meal.

"I'll have the buttermilk pancakes with sausages, and a glass of orange juice please," she ordered politely, handing her menu back to the waitress, who nodded and headed off to the kitchen.

Are you really going to eat all that?" Kagome asked, astonished at Inuyasha's seemingly infinite appetite.

"Yep," he answered casually, examining his blunt nails.

Fifteen minutes later the waitress returned with their food. Inuyasha dug in immediately, wolfing down his steak and eggs, saving the sausages for last. Slurping down the glass of milk, he looked over at Kagome, who was slowly picking away at her pancakes.

"I like pancakes," he said suddenly. "But the syrup just makes them too sweet. I prefer butter on mine."

Kagome looked at him, chewing her food slowly before swallowing. "I always like having sweeter things for breakfast… like cereal, or pancakes with syrup or honey."

"I'm more of a… meat kind of guy…" Inuyasha trailed off.

Kagome rolled eyes. "Gee, I wonder why…" she trailed off, eyeing the bandana he wore to cover his distinctive dog-ears.

"Hey, isn't that Souta?" Inuyasha asked, staring absently out the window.

Kagome turned to follow his gaze. "Hmm, where?" she asked curiously, looking for her younger brother.

"What the - ?! He just disappeared," he exclaimed, jumping slightly out of his seat, eyes wide with anticipation as they scanned wildly for the teenage boy.

"Are you sure you're not just seeing things?" Kagome asked sceptically, staring at the astounded hanyou in front of her.

"No, I swear! I saw him!"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome trailed off, forgetting the rest of her sentence as her eyes widened in shock when Souta suddenly appeared in front of her, and behind Inuyasha.

Noticing her expression Inuyasha stiffened, sensing something not quite right. "What is it Kagome?" he asked, concerned, but was unable to complete the thought as he felt an arm lock roughly around his neck, pulling him back into a choke. Inuyasha's eyes widened, his demonic survival instinct taking over his body as the air was sucked out of him with an unbearable painful force.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked, panic filling her as she stared in horror while her younger brother forced Inuyasha's body back, knocking the chair out from underneath him and tightening his hold around the hanyou's neck.

Hearing Inuyasha choke as he struggled against Souta's deadly hold, Kagome jumped forward, grabbing her brother's arm and pulling with all the strength her tiny body could muster.

"Souta, stop it! What are you doing?!" she shouted, fear taking over as she began to tremble.

Why was Souta doing this? How was he even physical capable of putting Inuyasha, a half demon, in such a position.

"Let… go of me… you bastard!" Inuyasha managed in a strangled voice, twisted in the younger boy's grasp. He didn't want to, but being left with no choice, the hanyou grabbed his captor's arm, pulling it down and plunging his head forward - sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of Souta's arm.

The younger boy cried out in pain, loosening his hold on Inuyasha. With one swift movement, Inuyasha had ducked down and pulled out of Souta's iron grip with ease. Spinning around he grabbed the boy's shirt, throwing him down against the table and pinning him with his knee.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out in concern for her brother.

"Sorry Kagome," the hanyou ground out, gritting his teeth as he struggled to restrain Souta against the table. "But this kid… can't be your little brother…"

Flipping Souta over, Inuyasha yanked up the back of his shirt, exposing an unmistakable spider-shaped scar – the same one as Naraku's. Kagome gasped, drinking in the site of her little brother with Naraku's mark on his back.

"No, it can't be – Souta…" she trailed off, bringing a hand up to cover her trembling lips as tears spilled from her shocked chocolaty orbs. "What are we going to do Inuyasha?" she asked desperately, confusion and disbelief written all across her face. She remembered how they had found him just the night before, lying unconscious on the street with the same wretched mark - yet she had forgotten all about it. Spending the night with Inuyasha had completely erased her memory of the event, not to mention Souta simply waking up and acting completely normal. The fact that she had managed to repress that night horrified Kagome to her very core. A thousand thoughts raised through her mind - questions that were left without any answers. Why hadn't she taken action earlier? Why did she force herself to forget? Why was this even happening?

"There's only one person I can think of… who we can ask," Inuyasha replied, still focused on holding Souta down.

"Who?" Kagome asked, her panic dissipating with hope.

Inuyasha turned to look at her, his amber eyes hard and uncompromising.

"Kagura."

_**A/N: I know, this took like two months… but alas, I updated! Please Review :)  
**_


	11. Shattered: Chapter 11

**_A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I feel quite crappy for being such a poor updater – but I'm working on that! I'm really really REALLY (can't emphasize the really enough) grateful to ALL THE REVIEWERS who give feedback, especially those of you who review every chapter and are so patient with me – sends her love –_**

**_SHOUTS TO:_**

**_g2fan_**

**_Thunder Brother Hiten Lover_**

**_BellisiaMoonfire_**

**_Elvenarcher516_**

**_inu adic_**

**_Hanyou Yogonem_**

**_The Fluffy Muffin Queen_**

**_Jennie 555_**

**_flying.to.fantasy._**

**_LoVe23_**

**_THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!! THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO YOU!!!_**

**_You guys are some of my most loyal reviewers and so I think I owe you the gratitude! Anyone else I've forgotten, my sincerest apologies… you have permission to yell at me in your next review XD and I'll be sure to mention your name in my next chapter!_**

**_ANYhoo, it seems I've caused a bit of confusion amongst my readers, and I apologize for that… I received a comment from someone noting how I seemed to forget what was happening in my own story… I appreciate the attention, but I really do know what's going on. I'd be a pretty crappy writer if I didn't have my own plotline figured out XD_**

**_The comment was regarding Souta and the spider-shaped scar on his back, and how the gang found him with the spider mark two nights prior to the attack on Inuyasha, and so it didn't really add up that Kagome was so shocked to see the spider mark for a second time when her brother attacked Inuyasha. The point is though, that Kagome, like any other human, isn't perfect, and was simply so overwhelmed with the situation (finding her brother on the street with the spider mark), that she chose to ignore it, especially when Souta woke up and began acting normal again, along with all the distracting time she was spending with Inuyasha. But when Souta finally attacks Inuyasha in the restaurant, it's an eye-opened for Kagome, showing her that her life simply can't be normal even in modern day Tokyo, and that Naraku is a reality she has to face whether she wants to or not. Hopefully more will be clarified in this chapter. Thanks for the comments, and if you're ever confused feel free to let me know XD I'd be glad to clarify anything you don't get, since I'm sure my writing might not always make sense or add up to everyone._**

**_Here's chapter 11!! Enjoy!!!_**

**_:: Shattered ::  
- Chapter 11-_**

"Damnit Kagome, get me a rope or something!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he struggled with the abnormally strong teen beneath him.

Souta writher against the table, fighting furiously against Inuyasha's demonic grasp. He clenched his teeth, his eyes wild as he twisted his wrists and bucked. Kagome watched in horror as the expression on her younger brother's face became almost inhuman. For certain, this was not her Souta.

"Just hold on a minute," she said, trying to regain composure and firmness in her voice. She searched the restaurant frantically, looking for anything to bind her wild brother's limbs so he couldn't hurt anyone, but she failed to see anything of use.

"Hurry up Kagome!" Inuyasha barked, the task of holding Souta down becoming increasingly difficult for him.

"Well, I don't know where the hell to find rope Inuyasha!" Kagome retorted, tears stinging her eyes once again as she felt helpless and useless in such a dire situation.

Inuyasha kissed his teeth in irritation. "Then you leave me no choice. Sorry Kagome," he apologized, before bringing the side of his hand down in a swift blow against the back of Souta's neck, effectively knocking him unconscious. Kagome gasped disbelievingly, replaying what had just happened over in her mind.

"Did you just… knock Souta out?!" she shrieked, throwing her arms up in the air to emphasize her point.

"Keh! He was getting tougher and I couldn't hold him down! AND you were taking too long getting me that rope so I really had no choice!" the hanyou defended himself.

Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but bit her tongue, knowing he was right. Souta was her brother, but he was acting completely out of hand – attacking Inuyasha, and that wild look in his eyes – she just couldn't understand it. Where had he gotten that mark? She remembered once again two nights ago when they found Souta lying in the street, the spider mark appearing on his back for the first time. He was asleep for the whole night, waking up the next day and acting as though nothing had happened. Kagome was going to ask him about what he had done the night before, but decided to dismiss it since his behaviour was just so… normal. On top of it all she really just wanted to be ignorant, not wanting to face the idea that her little brother was somehow connected to Naraku, the filth which had destroyed Inuyasha's life. And it wasn't just his – but the lives of so many others; Miroku, Sango, Kikyo, and countless other people she didn't even know about. Kagome withdrew, realizing she had been trying to ignore the fact that Naraku was still alive, and worst of all, living right under her nose.

"Kagome?" came Inuyasha's voice, breaking her depressing train of thought. "Hey, give Sango a call… ask her where Kagura's office is. We're going to pay her a little visit… but first we need to make a pit stop at the home hardware store for some rope. There's no telling when he might wake up and start attacking again," he said evenly, his eyes hard.

Kagome just nodded, not wanting to protest at the moment. "Of course…" She took her phone out and speed dialled Sango's mobile.

"Officer Sonya speaking," came the response after a few rings.

"Hey Sango, it's me," Kagome greeted, trying her best to sound normal.

"Hey! Kagome! What's up? Any news on anything?"

"Actually, Inuyasha and I needed Kagura's address. There are a few things we'd like to talk to her about."

There was a pause.

"About Naraku, right?" Sango inquired sullenly.

"…Yes… and that mark on Souta's back. We can't help but feel he's somehow affiliated with Naraku… well it's really a no-brainer I guess, with that spider mark and all," Kagome explained, her voice beginning to tremble.

"Kagome…" the demon slayer trailed off, feeling her friend's distress. "Don't worry about it, ok? Here, I'll get you Kagura's address." There was another pause followed by the shuffling of paper. Sango recited the location of Kagura's office while Kagome scribbled it down onto the palm of her hand. "But she doesn't open on Tuesdays until after noon… so you've got another hour and a half or so until she even gets into work," she added.

"Thanks Sango," Kagome said seriously.

"Don't mention it. Make sure you let me know how it goes… and if you need anything just call me in for backup!" the young policewoman exclaimed enthusiastically, trying her best to cheer up her distressed friend.

Kagome felt herself smile. "I owe you. I'll let you know how it goes then… " She replied finally before flipping her phone shut and turning back to Inuyasha.

"Well we've got some time to kill," she said to him as he held Souta's wrists tightly in one hand. "We might as well get that rope… and those groceries to restock your fridge."

Inuyasha relaxed, feeling the anxiety lift. "Yeah, good idea. Try not to worry too much Kagome. We'll figure this out… I promise."

Kagome nodded numbly, her legs feeling like jelly as she followed Inuyasha, who had unceremoniously plunked Souta of his shoulder and was now carrying him out the door and onto the street.

"We really need to get a car or something," the hanyou muttered under his breath as he strode down the sidewalk, attempting to ignore the bewildered glances and whispers from passing bystanders.

Kagome smiled nervously, hoping Inuyasha wouldn't bark any rude comments at the on looking strangers. "There's a small hardware place just up ahead by the movie rental place… why don't we go in there first and then we'll head across the street to the grocery store."

Inuyasha mumbled something incomprehensible, which Kagome took as acknowledgement of her proposed plan.

More awkward glances were directed Inuyasha's way as he swung open the door of the hardware store, stepping in confidently. Kagome had insisted on waiting outside, feeling embarrassed about the whole scenario.

"Keh, fine! If I embarrass you so much with my bandana and some kid flung over my shoulder – be that way!" he huffed, stomping away from her with overbearing determination.

Once inside, Inuyasha didn't even bother asking for help. He strutted through every aisle, browsing as he went for a strong enough rope. After four aisles he finally found what he was looking for, his eyes lighting up as he snatched the rope off the shelf.

"Inuyasha?"

Whirling around in the direction from which his name had been called, the hanyou took an almost fighting stance, preparing himself for battle at any given moment. He was surprised to see who it really was however.

'It's that dufus from Kagome's class – the one keeps trying to win her affections. What was his name again… Hobo?' Inuyasha mulled over in his brain as he straightened from his fighting stance, trying not to appear threatening.

"What are you doing here?" he growled, a little lower than he had intended to.

Seeming unperturbed, the other boy continued smiling pleasantly. "Well I suppose I could ask you the same question!" he exclaimed, giving a short nervous laugh. "I'm just here to get some materials for an engineering project. What brings you here, Inuyasha? You really don't strike me as the home hardware type."

"Well, not everything is always as it seems, now is it Hobo? I've got some errands of my own to run," he replied casually, turning slightly so that the nosey half-wit wouldn't recognize Souta's face. "Don't folks like you have places to go… people to see?" he asked a little less politely, peering vehemently at Hojo, his golden eyes narrowed to slits.

"A-as soon as I get all my things!" he took a step back, bringing his arms up in mock defense. "Say, speaking of people to see, you haven't seen Kagome, have you Inuyasha?" Hojo suddenly asked, regaining his courage. "And…. isn't that Kagome's younger brother Souta you're carrying unconscious over your shoulder – is he alright??"

Inuyasha could feel the stress veins popping out of his temples as he fought back the urge to pulverize the boy. Remembering that Kagome was outside waiting for him, and that it WAS in fact a possessed Souta slung over his shoulder, who could potentially wake up at any moment, prudence told him it would be best to ignore his testosterone and simply get the hell away. "No, no, and NO!!!" Inuyasha barked, stomping past Hojo and towards the cashier, who stared at Inuyasha in completely horror. After all, he was an angry looking, masculine kind of guy with long untamed white hair, a bandana, sharp bared teeth, and an unconscious teenage boy over his shoulder. Maybe he was from the Yakuza…

"That's t-t-twenty-one hundred yen p-please," the boy at the cash stammered, unable to look Inuyasha in the face.

Giving an amused snort, Inuyasha tossed a bill at the boy, muttering a distinct "Keep the change," under his breath as he walked through the exit doors with his rope.

Kagome had been waiting patiently outside, leaning against the wall next to the exit doors as she played with her cell phone. Upon Inuyasha exiting, she looked up, her eyes lighting up with recognition. Putting away her cell phone, the young woman walked over, a concerned look on her face.

"Hey, let's tie him up and get the hell outta here… I just saw Hobo in there and I really don't wanna have to stop for another chatting session," Inuyasha commanded gruffly, irritation still visible on his features.

"What? Hojo?" Kagome repeated before giggling softly. "Wow, you didn't kill him. I'm so proud of you Inuyasha!" she exclaimed, sounding almost entirely sincere.

Inuyasha glowered, not enjoying the obvious criticism directed to his lack of self-control and anger management. "Whatever," he muttered, dumping Souta unceremoniously on the ground and unwinding the rope.

"Hey! Careful!" Kagome scolded, hovering over her younger brother in concern. "You'll leave bruises if you just drop him on the street like that! And what will other people think?"

Inuyasha ignored the girl's jabbering as he wound the ropes tightly around Souta's hands, which were clasped behind his back. After binding both hands and feet, Inuyasha straightened up, dusting his hands off with an accomplished look on his face. "Alright," he began. "That should keep him from causing any trouble."

Hauling the teen up, Inuyasha swung Souta over his right shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Let's go Kagome," he said commandingly, beckoning her to follow. The raven-haired girl did so without question, knowing the hanyou was already in a rather bad mood after having to beat up and restrain her younger brother.

"Don't forget, grocery store!" she called out as she jogged to catch up to him, now walking speedily by his side. "And slow down! We're not in a race!" she complained, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him back in an attempt to slow his pace.

Inuyasha growled. "I told you, I'm trying to get away from Hobo… and I wanna get this shopping crap over with as quickly as possible! The last thing I need is demonized Souta waking up on my shoulder while you're trying to pick out which brand of peanut butter you wanna buy."

Kagome huffed in response. "Well we still have a lot of time… we can't just break into Kagura's office you know! So it really wouldn't make a difference if Souta did in fact wake up – and he's not demonized!!"

"Keh, sure he's not… and personally I'd rather have the brat waking up somewhere more isolated, rather than in the middle of aisle four of the local food mart," Inuyasha retorted.

"Clean up in aisle four," Kagome sighed, trying her best to lighten the mood.

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched in response. "Yeah, more like 'somebody call in the SWAT team.'"

Kagome kissed her teeth, elbowing the hanyou playfully in the ribs. "Don't talk like that!" she chortled, not being able to keep a straight face.

Once inside the grocery store, Kagome grabbed a buggy, which to her horror, Inuyasha had instantaneously used as a suitable dumping place for her little brother. Her draw dropped as she found herself at a loss of words. "What- Inuyasha… this is… "

"What?!" he exclaimed irritably. "You got any better ideas?"

Kagome pursed her lips together, trying her best to ignore his snappy attitude without exploding in defence. "Let's just get some food shopping done," she said evenly.

Sensing the stiffness in her voice, Inuyasha immediately softened, a small wave of guilt coming over him for his short-tempered behaviour. "Let's just get moving…" he said seriously, striding past her and towards the produce.

Kagome sighed, following behind with the cart containing Souta. "Do you have any idea what you want to buy?"

"I don't know," the hanyou commented, wrinkling his nose. "Stuff that's easy, and doesn't go bad quick."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome headed for the fruits. "Apples are easy… and you need fruits and veggies in your diet. They won't go bad either, as long as you keep them in the fridge and eat them within the next few weeks," she counselled, picking fresh apples and placing them in a bag. She had completely failed to notice Inuyasha was nowhere near her.

"ARGH!! SHIT, THAT STINKS!!"

Kagome spun on her heel, frantically searching for where the familiar voice had come from. Her eyes scanned the area until they finally landed on the white-haired hanyou, cringing, and leaning away from something. Sighing, Kagome pushed the cart over to where Inuyasha stood. "What's wrong Inuyasha?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"What IS that shit?!" he asked crudely, his outburst turning a few heads.

Kagome turned to look at what he was pointing to, his head turned away in utter disgust. "…That would be an onion," she responded flatly, staring at the large pile of fresh white onions before them.

"Urgh," Inuyasha groaned quietly. "Whatever you do, just don't buy me any of those."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome wheeled the cart over to the tomatoes. "Sure thing."

"You know, you shouldn't waste your time with too many of these fresh foods… I really don't know how to make anything," Inuyasha stated a-matter-of-factly.

"I already know that. I'm just getting the bare essentials so you don't die of scurvy or something," the raven-haired girl retorted, an icy edge in her tone. "As soon as I finish with the tomatoes we're going straight for the ramen and frozen meals," she added more lightly.

"They sell RAMEN here?!" Inuyasha suddenly exclaimed, placing a large hand on the side of his head as if the concept of it blew him completely out of his mind, while his eyes bulged out like saucers.

Kagome grinned, enjoying how happy she was starting to make him with such a small, simple statement. "Let's go!" she chortled enthusiastically.

As the two reached the noodle and soup aisle, Inuyasha began zigzagging through, throwing random items off the shelf with unmatchable zeal. Kagome felt herself break out in sweat as she watched the pile of instant ramen packages slowly accumulate on and around her little brother, who slept peacefully in the shopping cart.

"Inuyasha are you sure you need this many?" she asked uncertainly.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "I have to try every brand, and every flavour," he added firmly.

Kagome sighed, hunching over the cart while realizing there was really no point in arguing with him regarding this matter. At least instant noodles were always cheap. "You have a microwave, right?" she asked suddenly, looking up at the overly exuberant hanyou, who was still busy tossing in random packages of ramen.

"You mean that white rectangular box thing that buzzes and makes things explode?" he asked while reading the hiragana on the back of a ramen package.

"Err, yeah I'm pretty sure we're talking about the same thing…"

"What about it? Last time I tried using it I blew up my dinner and set the kitchen on fire." Inuyasha commented, still not looking up.

"Well, I'll teach you how to use it," Kagome offered. "It's really easy, as long as you set it for the right amount of time… it'll make dinner easier for you, once you buy a bunch of frozen meals. You'll get sick of ramen!" she exclaimed.

"How could ANYONE get sick of ramen," Inuyasha retorted, looking up at last with a deeply set frown.

Kagome sighed. "Just… come on… we're going to the freezer." She closed her eyes and waved him after her while pushing the cart lazily towards the fridges and frozen section of the grocery store.

While passing through the fridges, Kagome tossed in some milk and orange juice. "I don't like orange juice," Inuyasha commented as she placed the Tropicana carton into the shopping cart.

Kagome paused, before closing her eyes and placing the juice in anyway.

"Hey, didn't you hear what I just said-"

"It's for me," she cut into his protest. "For when I come over, which is pretty often. I like orange juice… so it would be convenient if you had it in your fridge for me," she smiled sweetly, causing Inuyasha to turn his head away, a glint of redness evident in his cheeks.

"Well whatever then," he muttered under his breath, frowning as the heat continued to rise to his face. He didn't want to be seen blushing at the idea of Kagome visiting him often, so he turned his head to the side, trying his best to avoid eye contact. This however did not pass Kagome's attention – a small giggle escaping her as she lifted her hand to cover her mouth, trying not to be seen smiling. She knew it would only irritate him further.

After choosing about a dozen frozen meals that seemed appealing to Inuyasha, most of which contained large quantities of meat, and two buckets of ice cream, the two made their way to one of the cashiers. Once again, the person working there seemed horrified as they laid eyes on the unconscious Souta, snoozing peacefully in the shopping cart amongst all the items which the odd-looking couple had already begun unloading.

After a good silent, awkward ten minutes, Inuyasha had paid for his things with a scowl, and was now grudgingly hauling the loaded bags and Souta out the automatic sliding doors. Kagome grabbed the remaining bags, which were mostly lighter than the ones Inuyasha had taken. She turned to the cashier, and nodded a quick 'thanks' before running after the grouchy hanyou, calling his name as she went.

"We better get these back to your place," she commented casually once having caught up.

"Yeah, I don't want my ice cream melting," he said earnestly.

After somehow managing to cram the tiny fridge and freezer with all the perishables, Inuyasha tossed his ramen and junk food into one of the empty cabinets. "Alright, let's get going to Kagura's," he said seriously, wasting no time as he grabbed Souta again, flipping him over the shoulder and making his way to the door.

Kagome opened her mouth to protest at his hastiness, but stopped herself from commenting, knowing it would do no good. Following silently out the door and down the hall to the elevator, worry seemed to creep up on her once again, a thousand thoughts scurrying through the young woman's mind as she stared at Souta's unconscious form.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Kagura yawned sleepily as she set down the coffee mug onto her desk. Most of its marble surface was covered in papers, calendars, sample books, and that contraption they called a computer. She really hated the bitter taste of coffee, even with loads of milk and sugar, yet she found herself growing increasingly addicted to it every day that passed.

Sighing, she began to organize the scattered papers on her desk, trying to keep her mind busy and focused on her day job. Nevertheless, it continued to stray – her thoughts darkening as the filth known as Naraku invaded her mind.

Kagura bit her lower lip, not entirely sure how she was going to deal with this situation. He could have been sitting somewhere, defiling jewel shards at that very moment. The only thing she knew for sure was that Naraku did not possess all the shards of the jewel. Stiffening as the thought ran over her, she instinctively moved her hand to the breast pocket of her blouse, reaching in and pulling out a tiny envelope. A pink light glowed from within, much to Kagura's relief. "So it's still pure," she mumbled absently, admiring the light that emitted from the tiny shard within the paper envelope. "I must protect it at all costs… if that monster pieces the jewel back together, this world is finished."

Just as she had placed the tiny stolen shard back into her breast pocket, the phone on the desk rang, startling Kagura and causing her to jump slightly. Hissing, she hit the speaker button barking a rough, "What is it?!" into the phone.

"T-there's a strange looking guy with white hair coming towards your office m-m'am," came the stuttered reply. "He's with some girl and he's got some unconscious kid with him! He just broke in here and demanded to see you, and when I wouldn't let him he just flew by me and bounded up the stairs!"

Kagura rolled eyes at the man's panic. "Relax, don't worry about it," she commanded smoothly before hanging up. Just then, her office doors practically exploded, a livid Inuyasha rushing through followed by Kagome – and indeed, an unconscious boy.

"Inuyasha," she cooed. "What a surprise, seeing you here. How may I help you?" her eyes narrowed, no trace of amusement in them,

"We need some explanations, and you're going to give them," the hanyou ground out dangerously, placing Souta face down on the demoness' desk. "Look!" he commanded, yanking up the teen's shirt and pointing to the spider mark on his back.

Kagura's eyes narrowed further, but this time over what she was seeing in front of her, rather than the dog demon's crude behaviour. "This is bad," she whispered to no one in , particular, her eyes never leaving the unconscious teen's back.

"What is it??" Inuyasha looked up, his eyes wide with anticipation and Kagome by his side. Kagome was too worried to speak. She tentatively reached for Inuyasha's large hand, squeezing gently in an attempt to gain some courage. She appreciated his concern for Souta, and it touched her to see him so enraged and anxious, but she herself was having difficulty dealing with the situation before her.

"Now I see," Kagura continued, seemingly absorbed in Souta's spider mark. "That disgusting filth was too weak to actually get out and do something… so he's been taking possession of bodies…"

"WHAT?!" Inuyasha cried out, waiting for an elaboration. Kagome remained speechless, still staring at her younger brother.

"Naraku has been too weak to manage anything entirely on his own. He left his hideout once twice to try and steal your jewel shards, successfully, but as a result was crippled and weakened beyond belief," Kagura explained. "For some reason he can't seem to heal very well in this era… probably because of the lack of demonic aura. So I'm assuming he took over this boy's body, knowing he was close to you. That must be how he obtained information regarding your whereabouts and the location of the jewel shards – plus his natural sense for finding them."

"What??" Kagome spoke for the first time. "So you're saying this is Naraku? And not my brother??" Tears were beginning to spill over, running down the girl's now pale face as she nearly choked on her own question. Inuyasha squeezed her hand reassuringly, and out of his own tension.

"No," Kagura replied, earning a sigh from both parties. "Naraku can't stay in a foreign body for very long, not without his ridiculous preparation and rituals. I believe he placed a parasite in this boy… something that basically does his will when he imposes it – but once he grows to weak, he will simply cease commanding the parasite. However, the parasite remains within the host's body… in the case your brother… and as a result creates strange behaviour."

Inuyasha thought for a moment. "So what you're saying is… there's some kind of bug in Kagome's brother that Naraku was using to control him for some short period of time."

"Yes," Kagura confirmed with a nod.

"And now that Naraku doesn't have strength to control the parasite, he's just left it in Souta's body, and it's making him act violently?" Kagome asked, her voice still a bit shaky.

"Exactly…" Kagura nodded added.

"Ok, so then it's simple. How the hell do we get rid of the bug?!" Inuyasha put forward, excitement building within him once again. "If it's just a bug, there's gotta be a straight forward way of doing this…"

Kagome nodded in agreement while Kagura sighed once more. "It is straightforward… but not simple – nor is it something we can do," she informed gravely.

"WHAT?!" the hanyou barked. "What do you mean it's not something WE can do?"

"The parasite isn't like a worm or a bug inside the body that needs to be expelled. That would be too easy, coming from Naraku. It's more like a tiny demon, stuck on the body, slowly eating away at the host's life force. It's completely invisible to the living," the demoness explained.

"So what do we do?" Kagome asked meekly.

Kagura looked at the girl for a long, hard moment. "There's only one person I know of with the power to rid your brother of this cursed parasite which slowly steals away his life."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "And who might that be?" he asked sardonically.

There was a deadly pause before Kagura replied, her voice low as though she were whispering a forbidden secret;

"Sesshoumaru."

**_A/N: Cliffy! Wow ok so this chapter was way longer than expected… but I'm glad the story is coming along. This one was dedicated to all the reviewers!! Thank you so much and please continue reviewing!!!_**


	12. Shattered: Chapter 12

_**A/N: Wow… I actually started this chapter like RIGHT after my last update… which was probably months ago . Anyway, Last night I buckled down and got this all finished up. It's 10 pages long, so I'm quite pleased with myself. Regardless, I seriously apologize for the wait. I know, I'm abysmal. XD Enjoy!!! **_

_**- Shattered -  
- Chapter 12 -**_

Sesshoumaru gazed out into the open field, his cold eyes scanning the terrain for any indication of life. A cold eerie wind blew through his majestic silvery hair, whirling it around his face and shoulders, and then falling back into place, appearing perfect once again.

"The stench of corpses and death is absolutely overwhelming!" Jaken shrieked as he covered his sensitive nose with the sleeve of his tattered robe.

Although Rin did not share Jaken and Sesshoumaru's keen sense of smell, she knew all too well the eerie sensation of death's presence that had been here not too long ago. Feeling the chill run down her spine like a snake, the young girl shuddered, closing her eyes and unconsciously reaching out for Sesshoumaru's soft fur pelt, which lay slung casually over his shoulder.

"L-lord Sesshoumaru," she pleaded, willing her body to move behind the powerful demon in order to block her view of the gruesome battlefield.

"Rin, stay back," his cool voice commanded. Sesshoumaru could feel Tenseiga vibrating irritably in its sheathe, equally perturbed by the slaughter as any living being would have been. There was no doubt about it – a trail of such devastation could only be left by none other than Naraku. The demon lord felt a twinge of anger and humiliation as he contemplated how he could have possibly allowed the filth known as Naraku slip past him and leave this world. Was that disgusting creature so tied to the jewel that his very existence depended on it? It all seemed so clear suddenly – as long as the jewel was around, fragmented or whole, Naraku would find a way to live – his very soul attached to it like a leech sucking on human flesh.

"Why are they all dead, my lord?" Jaken asked, still staring at the mess before them. "If Naraku's only intention was to leave this time, why would such death be necessary?"

Sesshoumaru paused. "You pose a good question, Jaken," he started, earning a flattered yet surprised look from the toad. "This isn't Naraku's style. He's never so… upfront about things."

"Maybe they tried to stop him?" Rin offered, averting her eyes from the bloody sight.

"…Perhaps."

_**XxxxXXXXXxxxxx**_

"SESSHOUMARU?!"

The entire building rumbled as Inuyasha roared his brother's name in fury.

"You've gotta be kidding me! There's no way I'm asking that bastard for help!"

Kagura blinked, eyes widened at the hanyou's sudden outburst. "Well there's nothing else I can offer you then," she said quickly, leaning back slightly.

"Inuyasha, if Sesshoumaru's the only one that can save my brother, then I'm going to ask for his help. I don't care if he's a cold-hearted jerk. My brother's life comes before my pride," she pleaded, staring deep into the hanyou's golden eyes.

Inuyasha felt a light pang in his chest. The look in Kagome's eyes hit home as he wrestled with his ego. He knew she was right; The life of her brother was far more important than maintaining a poor, prideful relationship with his demon half brother.

Sighing, he dropped his head in defeat.

"Alright," he muttered. "But how the hell do you propose we find Sesshoumaru? He's in the feudal era isn't he?"

"There's got to be a way!" Kagome pushed hopefully, racking her brain for ideas—Yet the more she thought, the more blank her thoughts seemed to become.

_**XxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxx**_

"Indeed, it seems as though Naraku has travelled to another era," Kaede said uncertainly, shifting her weight uncomfortably as her eyes darted back and forth between the two demons.

Sesshoumaru stood at the entrance of the small hut, refusing to degrade himself any further by disregarding the old priestess' invitation to 'make himself at home.' Rin on the other hand, had made herself comfortable, kneeling by the small fire next to Kaede and drinking freshly brewed tea. He wondered sometimes if it would be best to simply leave the girl with humans—after all, Rin was human. Shaking his head, the demon dismissed the thought. He knew she would refuse, and would only cause more trouble in the future. Turning his attention back to the old woman, he gazed at her old wrinkled skin, feeling somewhat repulsed.

"So you're saying there is a way to this other world?" he inquired coolly. He was now certain Naraku had found some way to travel to this other time; the one that reincarnated priestess was from—and if so, he needed to know how.

"Ay, that I am quite certain of," Kaede replied. "Are ye planning on doing the same, Sesshoumaru?"

The demon lord regarded the old woman silently before answering. "If there truly is a way, then yes. I refuse to allow that filth to travel through these realms at his whim."

"I see," Kaede replied. The flame between the two flickered as if to signify an unbreakable tension. The old priestess lost herself in it before continuing. "I believe Naraku's survival and travel through the realms is dependant on the jewel," she stated.

"The sacred jewel?" Sesshoumaru repeated softly.

"Ay. It appears that ye brother, Inuyasha also used the sacred jewel to travel to Kagome's time. It would explain his disappearance, and that of the demon slayer Sango, and the monk Miroku."

"But those three peasants were alive when they disappeared, which is far more explainable than Naraku's disappearance," Jaken protested. "Naraku had been defeated!"

"So it would seem," Kaede agreed. "However, the jewel of four souls is littered with the desires of the dead. With someone such as Naraku, I am certain he would be able to enforce his will through the jewel. After all, he did have possession of until the very end, did he not? Who's to say his evil spirit didn't find some way to attach itself to the jewel, and travel through time when Inuyasha had made his wish to be reunited with Kagome in her time?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously at the realization. "So you're implying that when my foolish brother impulsively desired to be with his human wench in the future, his wish was carried out by the sacred jewel, which had Naraku's soul inherently attached to it?"

Jaken gasped, continuing Sesshoumaru's thought. "And when Inuyasha travelled to the future using the jewel's power, he ended up bringing the jewel with him, thus releasing Naraku into that era?!"

Kaede nodded grimly. "It would seem so. However, Naraku's soul would not be so easily released from the jewel… unless… the jewel itself had been shattered, thus setting free its spiritual contents."

Sesshoumaru let out an irritated "che," his lips twitching slightly as he thought of his foolish half brother. "There's not a chance in hell that pathetic half demon would be able to deal with Naraku in another era. Who knows if he's even himself, after being moved five hundred years into the future by a cursed item so wretched as the jewel of four souls."

The priestess sighed, regretfully nodding in agreement with the demon lord. "It appears you may be correct. The jewel is known to have… effects on its users. It is very possible Inuyasha may have completely changed upon being transported to Kagome's time. It's quite possible he never even found Kagome, and doesn't know about Naraku's existence anymore," her voice rose, gradually becoming more frantic. "Sesshoumaru… Ye must find a way to travel to Kagome's time, and defeat Naraku. Such a change as having his monstrous presence in the future could affect us as well!" Kaede explained.

"Indeed, I wish to find a way to this time period," Sesshoumaru began. "However… I regret admitting that I myself do not have the slightest clue how to get there."

Kaede averted her eyes, gazing down at Rin who seemed completely distracted. She paused, contemplating what she was about to tell the demon lord. Closing her eyes, she turned back to face him.

"There is a well," she began, pausing to gain more certainty. "We call it 'The Bone Eater's Well.' It's the place from which Kagome came… and the place Inuyasha used to travel to Kagome's time. It appears to be a time portal—however, in the past only Kagome and Inuyasha were able to use it. Once jumping down the well, they'd find themselves in the other's time period. But as I mentioned, it only applied to Kagome and Inuyasha. Any time another would attempt to jump through the well, they'd only find themselves hitting the dirt ground."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed further, doubt filling his expression. Sensing this, Kaede continued her story; "However," she said, turning to look at Rin. "This child is an ancestor of Kagome's," the priestess patted the small girl on the head. "Perhaps if ye took her, along with your desire to stop the monstrosity known as Naraku, ye would be able to travel through the well, and into Kagome's time. From there on in, you'll just have to use your nose to find what you're looking for."

Jaken was about to burst, but not before Sesshoumaru spoke.

"Very well," he said coolly. "I'll take your word for it, old woman." He turned to leave then, a gust of air sweeping by as he did so. "Rin, Jaken. We're leaving."

Kaede watched as the tiny girl bolted up, dancing her way out of the hut after her demon master.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, are you sure we can trust her?" Jaken questioned as he scurried along the tall grass in the woods in an attempt to keep up with his master's quick pace.

"There's no harm in trying this particular time," Sesshoumaru replied – something he rarely did with Jaken.

Upon reaching the old well, Sesshoumaru stood silently for a moment, peering down into its dark depths. He had an abysmal feeling as he stood there, staring. The well was old, worn out, and definitely seemed somewhat bottomless. How exactly was he supposed to use Rin and his desire to kill Naraku in combination? Would this old well really respond to that desire? It seemed doubtful—almost ludicrous.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, how do you plan on going about this? Are you just going to leap in?" Jaken questioned, looking up at the demon.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, pondering the answer to the question himself. He had no idea. Jump down? Get Rin to jump? No—he couldn't ask that of her. As he continued to berate his mind for answers, he felt the soft sensation of a tiny hand curling around his own. Surprised, the demon looked down to his right side, where Rin stood, gently smiling up at him. He then looked at his hand, Rin's tiny one warming his as she squeezed, tugging gently.

"Let's go Lord Sesshoumaru," she spoke confidently. "Kagome and Inuyasha are waiting for us. They need our help."

The demon lord regarded the tiny child silently. Her thoughts were so pure and kind, that for a moment, Sesshoumaru almost felt obliged to help his pathetic half brother and his human wench. Nodding, he turned away, staring down the old well.

"Let's go," he said, giving Rin's hand a gentle tug as indication that it was time to jump. Surprisingly enough, Rin jumped first, pulling Sesshoumaru after her, laughing and squealing on the way down. Shaking his head back and forth to regain his senses, Jaken soon followed, plunging into the depths of the bone-eater's well after his two companions.

Sesshoumaru wasn't sure what it was, but when he reached the bottom of the well, his head felt strange. He could vaguely recall bright lights swirling all around him. It seemed to last an eternity but he knew it was only the few seconds he had been descending through the well. Looking around, he spotted Rin, lying unconscious on the ground while Jaken began to stir.

"Have we really made it to the other side?" Sesshoumaru asked himself out loud. The air definitely smelled different. A good whiff of it told him they weren't in feudal Japan anymore. "Jaken, let's go," the dog demon commanded, picking up Rin and slinging her over his non-fluff shoulder. With a graceful leap, Sesshoumaru shot up into the hair and burst through the top of the well, which had been cemented years earlier when the Higurashi shrine had been bought away and torn down.

Jaken let out a strangled cry as his senses were invaded by the foreign smells, sounds, and sights of the twenty-first century. "My Lord!" he exclaimed. "Is this… Is this the same village we were in just minutes earlier?"

"So it would seem," Sesshoumaru replied, equally shocked and invaded on the inside, though he failed to show it. There were so many new scents; it was hard to pick up on anything familiar. The only upside to that was of course, once he DID pick up a recognizable smell, he would know it belonged to someone from the feudal era.

As he walked through the crowded streets, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but feel irritated by the awkward glances he received from bystanders. His sensitive ears picked up on their whispers and rude comments. The urge to silence the pitiful humans was almost overwhelming, but he reminded himself that he was no longer a demon lord in his land, but a stranger to this unfamiliar one.

"My goodness, what kind of a person is that?"

"Look! He has a child on his shoulder? Do you think he kidnapped the poor thing??"

"Maybe she's just tired…"

"Don't be ridiculous! No one would carry a child in such a manner?"

Sesshoumaru felt his eyebrow twitch.

"Excuse me?"

He looked down at a young, timid looking woman.

"Um… I don't mean to be nosy, but do you need any help with that child? If she's not feeling well, I can take you to the doctor's office—that is if you're new around here and don't know your way around," she added quickly, averting her gaze.

Sesshoumaru regarded the woman with cold eyes. Her dyed red hair was thin, falling around her face, which was lowered to the ground. He couldn't see her eyes as her head was bowed. She reminded him of a peasant… perhaps she was the descendant of one. At least she was humble—the careless words of the others around him angered him deeply.

"That will not be necessary." His smooth voice came out like ice, causing the woman to jolt up, and stare into the demon's golden eyes. His voice was remarkably beautiful, almost haunting, like his exotic features. She blushed, feeling intimidated by his magnificence and splendour—the presence of a true living god.

"Oh… I see— "

"Violet," he suddenly said, cutting her off.

The young woman blinked, he eyes widening slightly. "I'm sorry?"

Sesshoumaru paused. "Your eyes…" he trailed off. "They're violet." He wasn't sure where the comment had come from, although he was almost positive it had arisen from the fact that he had not seen her eyes until she had looked up with such surprise in them. Yet why voice it? As if he cared…

The woman felt her face burning up even more, flattery filling her as her heart fluttered uncontrollably. His eyes were deathly cold; his face almost expressionless—but just the sound of that voice with his beautiful face was enough to make her heart stop. She mentally slapped herself, chasing away the ridiculous thoughts. He was merely commenting on the colour of her eyes.

"That's… that's actually my name," she commented shakily, forcing a smile. When he said nothing, she opened her mouth to speak again, almost desperate to keep the gorgeous man's attention. "I was just asking… because you don't look like you're from around here—I mean… I'm actually an exchange university student from Europe you see… so when I first got here it was pretty scary. I couldn't find my way around at all… so I guess I just thought I could relate," she blabbered on, emitting a nervous laugh here and there.

"University?" Sesshoumaru mimicked the word as best he could. He had never heard of such a thing, and curiosity had gotten the better of him.

The woman known as Violet nodded, seeming slightly more confident. "Tokyo University actually. I'm a third year student," she all but chirped.

"Student?" the demon lord repeated again. "So this is a school of some sort," he said rhetorically.

"Err, Yes…" Violet trailed off, slightly confused by the gorgeous stranger's seeming lack of common knowledge."

"And where can I find this 'Tokyo University?'" Sesshoumaru asked. He knew that human wench Kagome was a student, at least from what he had heard about her constantly studying to make up for some strange thing known as an "exam." He figured perhaps he might find her, and consequently Inuyasha at this university place. It would at least be a good area to start sniffing around for familiar scents.

"Well… it's quite far from here," the woman began to explain. "You'd have to take a thirty minute bus ride, and then walk for another fifteen or twenty minutes before you actually get to the campus—and then of course it depends which building you want to go to, since there's so many," she explained. "If you just head down that street three blocks left of us, you'll run into a bus stop… there should be lots of people waiting there. After you get on the bus, get off at the seventh stop, and take the first street to your right. Keep going, and you'll eventually run into Tokyo University. There's a huge sign, so you can't miss it."

"Thank you," was all Sesshoumaru said as he turned to leave. He didn't often thank people, but somehow he felt compelled to do so this one time.

"Wait!" the young woman called after him as he began to head in the direction she had indicated. He stopped, turning slightly to look at her.

She smiled brightly, no longer bowing her head and hiding her face. "You never told me your name!" she exclaimed hopefully.

The dog demon paused, not sure whether to answer or not. After a moment of silence he closed his eyes peacefully.

"Sesshoumaru," he replied in a cool voice.

The woman's eyes seemed to sparkle for a moment, as though it were the first time she had ever been spoken to with an ounce of acceptance.

"I'm Violet… Violet Pandoro!" she said back excitedly. "Oh, and by the way… THAT'S a bus," she indicated with a grin, pointing her index finger at the automotive contraption as it trudged by Sesshoumaru and down the street.

He stared after it blankly for a moment, realizing she had answered his mental question without ever hearing his thoughts. Turning to look at the young woman again, he felt a tug at the corner of his lips, causing them to quirk up ever so slightly in an appreciative smirk. His eyes laughed silently before he slowly turned back towards the path ahead of him and walked away. He could feel Violet waving him goodbye—yet he somehow felt s though it wouldn't be their last encounter.

"Jaken," he said calmly. "We're going to follow that 'bus' thing."

The toad looked up at his master. "We're not going to get on it?"

When Sesshoumaru didn't respond, Jaken knew it was time to prepare for a heavy chase. Up ahead, he saw the strange vehicle stop at the end of the street. There was a small transparent hut-like object, with people crowding in and around it.

"That must be the stop!" Jaken exclaimed, pointing to the area.

"Let's go," Sesshoumaru commanded, suddenly breaking into a run at god-like speed as he held Rin over his shoulder. Jaken let out a cry, hurriedly scrambling off after the demon, which had now become nothing but a white blur.

Sesshoumaru eventually slowed, realizing the bus contraption wasn't all that fast. He ran at a steady pace, somewhat grateful for not having to use his full speed. He didn't want to accidentally hurt the still unconscious Rin. It was only then that he wondered if maybe he should have taken that woman's offer regarding the doctor.

It was then, about fifteen minutes into the chase that Sesshoumaru picked up something remarkably familiar; the scent of another demon. He stopped abruptly, breathing in the air to verify the scent. Jaken, noticing the sudden halt tripped, skidding forward and crashing into his master's leg.

"L-lord Sesshoumaru, what is it?" he stammered, confused by the sudden turn of events.

"…. Kagura…." The demon said absently, as the familiar scent invaded his sensitive nose. There was something else there—another scent, which he knew was familiar, yet it was covered up by the wind sorceress' much stronger scent, overwhelming him.

Bolting in the direction from which the smell came, Sesshoumaru felt himself grow anxious. If Kagura was alive and living in this era, then so was Naraku, without a doubt. The scent ended at a large structure Sesshoumaru obviously didn't recognize. Bolting through the front doors, he whipped past a woman sitting at a desk, holding a strange contraption to her ear.

"Hey—hold on!! You can't go in there!!" She exclaimed dropping the receiver from her ear as Sesshoumaru flew by her and through the emergency staircase doors.

_**XxxxxXXXXXXxxxxxx**_

"There's got to be a way!" Kagome cried desperately, her chocolate eyes pleading with despair as she stared at Inuyasha.

"I know I know! I'm thinking!" he retorted, feeling guilty every time she looked at him with those eyes. "Believe me Kagome, if there was a way to find that bastard, I'd be on it right this very sec—" Inuyasha trailed off, an agonizingly familiar scent reaching his nose… and fast. "Well speak of the bloody devil," he muttered under his breath, turning expectantly towards the front of Kagura's office.

As if on cue, the doors burst open, a puff of white appearing in front of Kagome, Inuyasha, and Kagura. It was none other than Sesshoumaru himself. His expression was bored, as usual, as he stared at the three familiar faces. When his eyes landed on Kagura however, his eyes flickered slightly, a dangerous aura suddenly emitting from him.

"Kagura," he said evenly. "Where's Naraku?"

Kagura hesitated, surprised and dumbfounded all the same. Before she could answer, and before Sesshoumaru could threaten to dismember her, he felt a ferocious tug on his fur pelt.

"Sesshoumaru!!"

The demon lord looked down to see Kagome, sad eyes brimming with tears as she clutched his pelt desperately.

"Please!" she wailed. "Help me… I need you!!" she cried out, all pride and strength leaving her.

Sesshoumaru stared down at the girl. She had changed quite a bit these past seven years. She no longer acted so tough, as though she could take on the whole world. She was begging for his help instead.

The situation baffled him immensely, and Sesshoumaru really wasn't sure what to make of the past two hours he had spent in this new era. He didn't know why, but all the women seemed to have been fawning over him one way or another with their petty desperation of sorts.

Perhaps it had something to do with his pheromones.

_**A/N: WOOHOO!! Done chapter 12!! For those of you that don't know what pheromones are, they're basically smells that people/animals carry. They're unique to the sex of an animal, and they're what instinctively attract the opposite sex. That's why we sometimes find sweaty people hot XD because when you sweat, you release pheromones. They also load pheromones into those nasty fragrances like TAG and AX. That's the logic behind their commercials-- the whole "women flocking" after one spray of it. Anyway… REVIEW PLEASE!!!**_


	13. Shattered: Chapter 13

_**A/N: Ok!! Gomen! I'm sorryyy! I know I haven't updated for SOO long, but you guys are totally gonna love this chapter. Tons and tons of Inu/Kag, and be warned it gets a tiny bit steamy. I'm thinking about possibly changing the rating to M, but I want your guyzez input. SO, let me know if I should changes it, or keep it T for TEEN! Enjoy!**_

_**: Shattered:**_

_**:Chapter 13:**_

Inuyasha swallowed, hard. Looking around, he realized what a predicament he has found himself in;

Currently, he was standing in Kagura's office—the woman who was once a piece of his mortal enemy, Naraku. Beside him was a very possessed, but thankfully unconscious Souta, who could possible by any chance suddenly awaken and mindlessly attack at random. Last but not least, there was Sesshoumaru, his not so brotherly elder half brother, standing in front of him, with Kagome clinging to his fur pelt as though she was hanging on for dear life. With any luck, he may just slice her arms off and walk away.

Growling, the hanyou tensed, prepared for any surprise attack.

"Kagome, get away from him, you don't know what he might do!" he yelled out.

Kagome didn't budge. Sesshoumaru stared down at the human with a somewhat blank expression on his face, Rin still slung over his shoulder. He really disliked humans—a large change from his previous disgust and hatred towards them, but nevertheless, he had no desire to help them with their petty problems.

However, as much as he hated to admit it to himself, Sesshoumaru was in a foreign place, and at the mercy of the only human he knew living in the era—Kagome. To make things worse, he now had a potentially ill Rin on his hands. The demon lord scowled inwardly. He couldn't afford to put the fragile girl's life in danger, especially when there was no real threat around.

"What is it that you need?" he asked suddenly, deciding cooperation would be his best choice at this point.

Inuyasha blinked, his fighting stance going floppy as his brother's words registered in his mind.

"Say what?!" Inuyasha thought out loud.

"It's my brother!" Kagome exclaimed, ignoring Inuyasha and yanking on the fluffy white pelt as she croaked her words out. "He's been possessed! By some…. thing… and it's going to devour his soul if we don't get it out of him, but it's not physical! It's some bug that only Tenseiga could slay!"

"What the hell are you ranting about, woman… and how do you know this?" Jaken interrupted, waving his staff around in the air.

"I told them," replied Kagura, her presence suddenly becoming known to the toad as he jumped in surprise.

"Naraku's wench!" he shrieked, flying a feet into the air before regaining his composure and scrambling off to hide behind Sesshoumaru's leg.

Kagura continued, ignoring Jaken completely. "Naraku is alive, but weak. He was using a parasite to control Souta's body for a short period of time. Once the bug outlasted its purpose, Naraku left Souta's body, but with the parasite still in it. The parasite will remain, devouring the boy's soul to survive. Once the soul is completely devoured, it will escape the corpse of its host, and move on."

"Which is why we need you to kill it with your sword!" Kagome yelled frantically. "We can't get inside Souta's body, but you can without making any physical wounds… you can kill the parasite effortlessly with just one swing… so please, help us! I'll do anything!"

Inuyasha growled in irritation. He hated seeing Kagome like this. "Quit begging Kagome! He doesn't feel any sympathy or compassion for anyone, you're better off just beating him into doing what you want."

Kagura rolled her eyes at this. "Fool. To think you're his brother and know nothing about him. Stop antagonizing him," she hissed under her breath. "Sesshoumaru has his pride… make him feel important and he'll do it."

"Like hell I will," he growled back.

Kagura kissed her teeth. Sesshoumaru may have his pride; buy Inuyasha's was way over the top. "Now is NOT the time to be cockfighting, you stubborn idiot. Someone's life is on the line—but since you're going to be so difficult, I'll save you the trouble."

Inuyasha blinked. _'What the hell is she on about?'_

"Sesshoumaru," Kagura began. "You are the only one with this ability, and it costs you nothing—not even effort. Without you, Naraku will be free to do as he wishes. Will you allow him to insult you so?"

The entire room went silent as all eyes parked on Sesshoumaru. He could feel the pressure, even behind his mask of calm and poise. Closing his eyes, he gently brushed Kagome aside, walking towards an unconscious Souta lying still on the desk. He eyed the boy for a moment, as if to make sure he wouldn't make any sudden movements or attacks.

"Jaken, take her," he commanded, gently sliding Rin off his shoulder and passing her to the toad.

"Y-yes my lord!"

Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru placed a hand on the hilt of his sword and glared down at the boy. Immediately he felt Tenseiga pulse, a current of energy passing through the air and over Souta's boy. At that moment, a tiny glow became visible from inside the boy. It appeared to be near his heart, bustling around as it picked at his soul.

"There it is," Sesshoumaru stated to himself, slowly unsheathing his sword. Lifting it in the air, he focused on the location of the parasite. With one clean slice, the blade swooped down, dispersing the tiny light into dozens of barely noticeable particles, which subsequently disappeared into thin air.

Closing his eyes and sheathing his sword, Sesshoumaru turned away from Souta and walked back towards Jaken and the still unconscious Rin.

"It has been done," he said simply.

With a slightly bewildered look, Kagome ran towards Souta, who was beginning to come to.

"Argh.. Sister?" the boy groaned, shaking his head back and forth as he stirred, trying to ward off the nasty throbbing in his head. "Where am I?" he asked.

"It's ok Souta, don't worry… you just… passed out earlier, so we took you into the nearest building to lay you down," Kagome lied, and poorly.

"So you… took me in to see a wedding planner?" He blinked as he read the sign on the office door.

Kagome let out a nervous laugh. "Well, you know doctors these days, absolutely horrible! They don't have a CLUE what they're doing… so I guess in the end it really didn't matter where we took you, now did it?!"

"Umm…ok-"

"Let's just go home!" she chirped, grabbing her younger by the hand and dragging him towards the door, passing Sesshoumaru along the way.

"Hey, sis, who's tha—"

"NEVERMIND!!" She pulled harder.

"Hey, Sesshoumaru…" Inuyasha began, eyeing Rin. "Is she ok?"

Sesshoumaru paused. He had planned on asking Kagome—maybe—about what to do with Rin… but there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell he'd be asking his younger brother for help. The entire principle of it was wrong.

"She's fine," he answered simply. "Jaken let's go," he commanded, turning and heading for the door before Inuyasha could muster another question.

"B-b-b-but! My Lord!!" The toad ran after his master, Rin on his back.

"What about Rin? Perhaps… perhaps it would be wise to seek Inuyasha's help at this time. After all, he and that woman ARE in our debt…"

"That's enough Jaken," The demon lord interrupted, heading faster out the building. It wasn't that he didn't worry for Rin's safety or well-being, but his pride would not allow him to stoop so low as to seek Inuyasha's assistance.

But he had to do something.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Once they had reached home, Souta had gone straight to bed along with the rest of the Higurashi household. Kagome had passed out on the couch in the living room, leaving Inuyasha to entertain himself. Sighing, he grabbed the blanket from Kagome's bed and brought it over to where she slept, draping it over her figure. He stared down at her momentarily with eyes half closed, as though he were unconsciously drinking in the sight. Hearing her exhale, he brought himself back to his senses, and plopped down on the couch next to her feet. Thankfully she was slightly curled up, leaving enough space for him to sit.

Inuyasha leaned back, resting his head on to top of the couch while spreading his arms out to each side. He stared up at the ceiling, wondering what the heck he could possibly do to regather all the shards and destroy Naraku once and for all. On top of everything, Sesshoumaru was in modern day Tokyo—though he may end up proving himself useful if it was Naraku they were up against. And what about Kagura? She seemed to be on their side… but despite what her will, was she really completely free from Naraku's grasp?

The questions raged on in the hanyou's head, so much, that he didn't notice Kagome had stirred and awoken.

The young woman looked around, everything appearing murky before her sleepy eyes. Turning to look to her left, she noticed a large white blob with two, smaller triangular looking blobs on top. Recognizing the foreign white object as probably being Inuyasha, Kagome rotated her body so that she faced him. Dragging her blanket with her, she crawled over, wrapping her arms around Inuyasha's waist and dropping her head on his chest rather ungracefully.

Surprised, Inuyasha jumped slightly, looking down with wide eyes. For a moment he thought Buyo had found him, however, seeing Kagome instead somewhat warmed him, bringing a smile to his face.

Inuyasha eased himself lower into the couch, getting comfortable. The two sank, Inuyasha now lying contentedly on his back with Kagome half on top, snuggling closely to his chest. She smiled against his shirt, breathing in the scent.

"Are you sniffing me?" he asked, poking her in the ribs.

Kagome squeaked, shifting slightly to protect her vulnerable sides.

"You smell like laundry detergent."

"As opposed to?"

"Grass, sweat, and blood..."

"Hey… are you saying I smell bad?"

"Well… sometimes after the fights with demons back in the day, you would smell like a funny mix of things," she admitted.

Inuyasha sighed. "Well it's not like I could help it," he replied defensively.

Kagome giggled. "I wasn't saying it bothered me or anything… don't look so distraught."

"I'm not distraught!" he barked.

"SHH!" she hushed, placing her hand over his mouth. "You'll wake up the others!"

Inuyasha felt his body heat up as he noticed their positions. Even though his night vision was far superior to any human, he didn't even have to see to know what was going on. Her body was pressed up against his, every curve fitting him perfectly. She tugged on his shirt with her left hand, as if to balance herself, while her right stayed clasped over his mouth. This was getting to be too much, even for him. They had been apart for seven years. Not only that, but both had matured considerably, Kagome physically especially. He never wanted to make her uncomfortable when they were younger, and his immaturity and pride had always gotten the best of him, so he had kept the intimacy to a minimum. Showing affection and vulnerability had never been his strong points, despite what his desires may have been.

But things were different now, weren't they? Inuyasha wasn't that stubborn, immature, prideful jerk anymore, was he? Kagome was grown up… she could do… grown up things… couldn't she? Would she?

The hanyou mentally smashed his head through a wall. He really should not be thinking those thoughts in Kagome's living room. And after all this time, and all the things they had on their hands—from Souta, to Naraku, to Kagome's dramatic life itself—having dirty thoughts should have been the last thing on Inuyasha's mind… or so he was trying to convince himself.

It was a gruelling battle between Inuyasha's upper brain and _**lower**_ brain, but alas, the nether region reigned supreme. Opening his mouth, he let his tongue shoot out, gently caressing the palm of her hand while his sharp teeth gently grazed her skin.

Kagome gasped in surprise, pulling her hand away. Inuyasha grabbed her wrist as she did so, suddenly pulling himself up on his knees. The force of the pull had Kagome stumbling forward, straight into Inuyasha, who caught her by the shoulder with his other hand. He gazed at her intensely, his eyes giving away the emotions which raged through his body and mind. She knew where this was going; she knew by the look in his glowing amber orbs. Uncertainty coursed through her entire body, but she couldn't bring herself to pull back or move away. His gaze had her locked—completely paralyzed—and though she was terrified of what was about to come, Kagome knew it was time to grow up and move on from playing pretend.

Pretending she didn't want him.

He could sense her fear and tension. The anxiety was written all over her face and body, but he really didn't care. He pulled her closer, their bodies now pressed against each other, their lips only a breath apart. It was getting difficult to breathe, and Inuyasha was starting to get unbearably hot—so much, that he felt like removing his clothing all at once.

But now was not the time.

Pushing his naked thoughts aside, Inuyasha moved forward, closing the gap between them. Their lips locked gently—tentatively at first. Feeling bold, the hanyou moved his mouth against hers, anticipating a response. When she finally began to, he relaxed slightly. Coaxing her mouth open with his own, he allowed his tongue entry, gently massaging hers while slowly pushing her back down on the couch. Easing himself on his elbows so that he didn't crush her, the hanyou broke the kiss, moving lower to nibble on her jaw line and down to her collar bone.

Kagome let out a gasp, and bit her lip. Even though she was in college, she had never had a serious boyfriend, and consequently didn't have much experience with intimacy. Her friends constantly teased her about being sexually frustrated due to her lack of "action," but she brushed it off, saying she was fine. Of course, she always felt fine…

Until Inuyasha had just given her a taste.

Her heart was going miles, and her whole body felt hot. It was getting heart to breathe as the heat pooled lower into her stomach, giving her sensations she had never quite felt before… and it felt good.

Almost involuntarily, Kagome pushed her hips up against Inuyasha's, earning a groan from the hanyou. She wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand gently tugging on his thick hair. He was starting to lose his mind, and with the way things were going, they'd be in for an awkward morning when the rest of the Higurashi's woke up.

'_Or maybe it won't be too long before they get woken up by something else…' _Inuyasha thought before mentally slapping himself. He had to get a grip before things got out of hand. Digging his claws into the couch, he lifted his head to look at Kagome with half closed eyes. Her face was flushed, and her lips slightly swollen. The sight made him want to just continue what he was doing but he stopped himself.

"What's wrong?" she asked suddenly. "Did I do something weird?" She was immediately getting self-conscious, thinking about her inexperience.

"Huh?!" Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow. "What the hell are you yapping about… I just wanted to remind you that we are on your living room couch, and I don't think this is a great idea here…"

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, faking confusion.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Come on, you know what I mean. You know where this was going… and it can get… loud I guess… so it would be best if we took it somewhere else," he explained, averting his gaze midway through.

Kagome felt her face heat up, and suddenly, the fifteen-year old high school girl made her appearance once again. "WHAT?!" she all but shrieked. "Are you suggesting I would have done…. THAT… on my family couch?! With you?! Now?!"

Inuyasha jerked back slightly, his eyes wide in bewilderment. "….Well what else were you rolling your hips about?!" he barked back defensively. "They certainly weren't telling me to tuck you in bed and go on home to MY couch!"

Kagome's mouth hung open. It wasn't that what he was saying wasn't true. She simply wasn't prepared to hear it. She all but screaming, throwing her fists forward to pound them against his chest.

Knowing the girl could do no damage, Inuyasha sat on the couch in front of her, watching as she smacked him with meek attempts to release her frustration. His eyes sparkled then, and a smirk formed on his lips as he remembered what her friends had said on numerous occasions.

"You really are sexually frustrated, huh?" he grinned through his teeth.

Kagome stopped momentarily, allowing the sentence to register in her mind.

"NO I'M NOT!!" she shrieked, now furiously pounding away at him, wherever she could manage to hit this time.

"Ow! Hey-" Inuyasha yelped as she socked him in the face. Growling, he grabbed a hold of both her wrists. "Quit your girly smacking, it's futile!" he warned, though she refused to listen. "You can't hurt me, Kagome, just give it up already."

When she didn't listen a second time, he decided to show her himself. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed both her wrists with his left hand. Using his free hand, he pushed her down a little less than gently, hopping forward and straddling her hips so that she was pinned helplessly beneath him.

Kagome kicked and wringed around, struggling furiously but to no avail. She let out a frustrated groan, finally giving in with a whimper as she relaxed her body beneath him.

"Well… now what?" Inuyasha asked flatly. "I could have my way with you now."

Turning a tomato red, Kagome ground her teeth together. "What is WRONG with you?"

"Nothing," he sighed. "I'm just proving my earlier point… you know, the one where I told you attacking me is futile."

The young woman pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing into a glare. She had nothing to retort with.

"Besides," he continued, ignoring the daggers her eyes threw at him. "You're kind of enjoying this," he grinned. "I can tell…"

Kagome gasped. "What?! How could you even think that??"

"Well, your scent changes depending on your emotions," he explained. "The aura you give off when you're angry or is drastically different from the one you give off when you feel pleasure."

If Kagome's face had been a tomato before, it was definitely more like an eggplant at this point. Now how could she defend against that?

"Though this was a kind of mix of both…" he thought out loud, giving the air a deliberate sniff.

With all the strength she could muster, Kagome used her entire body force to jump upward and head-bud the hanyou. However, all the strength she could muster wasn't enough, as he caught her by the shoulders while she was still half underneath him.

He gave her a devilish grin, just before crashing his lips onto hers and pulling her body against him. Giving up the struggle, Kagome relaxed, returning the kiss, and to her horror letting a moan escape her. She could feel his hands beginning to roam her body, playing with the ends of her shirt as they snuck under to trace the skin around her naval.

Feeling bold, Kagome pushed her hands up his shirt, feeling his washboard abdomen. She was convinced she had finally snapped, and completely lost her self control, even if they were only having a very heavy, somewhat violent make-out session on her living room couch.

Just as Kagome had managed to rid the hanyou of his shirt—and Inuyasha already working furiously on a bra clasp they didn't exactly have back in feudal Japan, all occupied bedroom doors had suddenly opened.

The two stopped their activities immediately, both looking towards the doorways where three very irritated, and somewhat shocked Higurashis stood, watching intently. Inuyasha was frozen, the blood draining from his face as he stared with saucer-pan eyes while his fingers still held the evil bra-clasp which previously refused to come apart for him. For now, he was thankful it didn't.

And just as he began to silently praise his incompetence with 21st century women's lingerie, the damn thing unclasped.

_**A/N: lulz….ok so lemee know if this was too much for the T rating and if i should change it. R&R!!  
**_


	14. Shattered: Chapter 14

_**A/N: BARGH! I worked frivolously on this one while I still had my momentum from chapter 13….  
AND I DID IT! Anyway, I'm hoping for more reviews this chapter XD I've learned that the faster you update, the more reviews you get :D… and when you slack off for 6 months like I did, you get like 2 reviews…. Which sucks after you finally get back to working your butt off. Anyhoo, here's chapter 14.. ENJOY!**_

_**: Shattered :  
: Chapter 14 :**_

The ragged, heavy breathing emitting from Rin's fragile body invaded Sesshoumaru's ears. The sound would be concerning to even human ears—but to Sesshoumaru, the wheezing of her constricted breathing was overwhelming. He could feel the heat of fever coming off her body, the scent of sweat and discomfort infiltrating his nostrils. Her sickness simply could not escape his demonic super senses.

"My lord what shall we do? Rin is terribly sick!" Jaken exclaimed, his large eyes darting back and forth between the small girl and the large canine demon. "Rin seems to be very ill!"

Sesshoumaru remained silent as he stared almost blankly at the small body before him. It was more than obvious that he had to do something—but this was not a world he felt entirely comfortable to him. To the contrary, it was very foreign, and he was most likely frightening to most people. On top of it all, he had no inhuman individuals he could turn to for answers, and his only chance at asking his half brother and his human woman had slipped by.

At that moment, Sesshoumaru had never felt more helpless—more human—in his seemingly eternal lifetime. He understood human fragility better than ever before, yet it still astounded him just how terrifying the experience of losing such a frail life could be—even if it had occurred in the past.

All humans were frail; their health, their bodies, and their minds. One moment they could have been smiling, laughing, striving to achieve their goals in the short lifespan they had, and the next they could have been struck by a heavy object, fallen ill, or murdered by someone. So what was the purpose of it all? All the effort humans put into their lives—training, schooling, growing…

Schooling.

That reminded Sesshoumaru of a certain young woman with remarkably violet eyes.

"_Um… I don't mean to be nosy, but do you need any help with that child? If she's not feeling well, I can take you to the doctor's office—that is if you're new around here and don't know your way around."_

"_That won't be necessary."_

"_I was just asking… because you don't look like you're from around here—I mean… I'm actually an exchange university student from Europe you see… so when I first got here it was pretty scary. I couldn't find my way around at all… so I guess I just thought I could relate."_

The conversation they had replayed in Sesshoumaru's mind. The young woman named Violet Pandoro—if he recalled correctly—seemed terrified of him, just as any human would be… and yet, she offered to help him and Rin. She was shaking in her shoes, visibly! Her eyes were wide with fear, but her good intentions did not falter. Surely her instinct told her to run from a demon that could kill her without even raising a finger—even if she didn't know he was a demon, her body and mind would tell her something was wrong.

Perhaps it was worth a try? Depending on a human that is…

"My Lord, what are you thinking about?" Jaken broke the demon lord out of his thoughts.

"We're going, Jaken," he said as he rose swiftly to his feet, picking Rin up with him. Cradling her in one arm, he gazed down at the girl, his eyes gleaming with an unwritten emotion even Jaken could not comprehend. Though he did know one thing—his master was hurting over the young girl's illness.

As far as Jaken was concerned, he still believed it would have been best to abandon Rin. Though he could tentatively admit to himself that he would miss the girl, he also knew it would have been easier for both of them without her human weaknesses and needs: Food, water, sleep, shelter, and protection due to the frailty of her body. It was sometimes rather troublesome… and yet Sesshoumaru refused to abandon Rin as long as it was her wish to stay.

"W-where are we going my lord?" The toad stuttered, evidently frazzled by his master's sudden decision after hours of awkward silence.

"….Tokyo University…"

_**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Kagome could hardly raise her head to look at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were still flaming as she remembered the looks on her family's faces—and the position she had been caught in. Not even bothering to find her shirt which had been carelessly flung away by Inuyasha, the college student bolted out from underneath the hanyou and disappeared into the bathroom with inhuman speed, slamming and locking the door behind her in Kagome-fashion. Now with her bra securely fastened, she slowly looked up to face herself in the mirror, her hands pressed against the running sink as she leaned forward.

"What the hell was I thinking?" she gritted through her teeth, quietly enough for only her to hear. The whole purpose of having the sink running was for there to be noise in the background. That way she 

couldn't hear what her family might have been saying right now—and they probably wouldn't try to talk to her through the door.

And Inuyasha.

A part of her was absolutely infuriated with him. What was HE thinking? He definitely didn't make it easier for her decision making, that was certain! Then again, she did feel slightly guilty. She couldn't imagine how embarrassed he must have been, especially now as he sat outside with her family… probably taking a lot of questions. She knew that most of her anger was only directed towards her white-haired infatuation because she was displacing her own anger. The real infuriation was with herself—for losing control so easily, and for wanting to do those things right there in her living room!

"ARGH! STUPID STUPID STUPID!" Kagome yelled at herself.

But was it really so stupid? If the situation arose again, would the same thing happen?

Kagome had a pretty good guess at the answer to that question.

Exhaling deeply, she turned off the running water. Straightening her back, Kagome stared at herself in the mirror, trying to look as composed as possible.

"Well, time to face the fireworks I guess," she sighed to herself before robotically opening the bathroom door and walking out onto the battlefield.

For a battlefield, it was surprisingly quiet, she noted.

In fact, she didn't hear a single voice—not even footsteps, or the uncomfortable shifting of weight.

As she turned the corned, she noticed the entire living room area was empty—as was the kitchen, and no sound came from the bedrooms.

"They left," came the all to familiar sound of Inuyasha's gruff voice.

Looking in the direction from which it came, Kagome spotted the hanyou, sitting cross-legged on the large couch with his arms crossed tightly across his chest, a scowl on his face.

It was so Inuyasha.

"Where did they go?" Kagome asked, trying to sound as natural as possible.

"They just said they were going out for a while for some 24 hour drive through crap," he shrugged casually. "Said we needed to be _alone."_

That last word caught Kagome off guard, sending a shiver down her spine and making her turn a bright shade of read as her heart sped, her body remembering the feel of Inuyasha's body against her own—the sensation of his lips on hers, caressing her face.

The new shade of her skin did not escape Inuyasha's attention. He remembered how oblivious he used to be—he probably would have taken this as a sign of fever or something—but he knew better now. She was thinking about them being _alone, _and all that could be done during that time.

"Why so embarrassed?" he asked

"I'm not embarrassed!" came Kagome's snappy response.

"Keh… sure ya aren't… it's written all over your face Kagome—you look like a tomato!"

"What's your point?!" She yelled back, fists clenched tightly at her sides. She hated it when he pried like this. She wasn't even angry at this point, but just wanted to move on. The determined look in his golden eyes told her he wouldn't let her off so easy.

"My point is I can see that you're embarrassed, so there's no point in denying it! Now you might as well answer my question and tell me why!"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"I'd say it was a bit of an overreaction… your family isn't idiotic you know. They know we're not kids anymore, even though you seem to think so," he added the last part bitterly. It may have sounded harsher than he wanted—realizing this after seeing Kagome's expression change, a small gasp escaping her lips, and sudden isolation surrounding her scent. Nevertheless it grated his nerves—the way she always acted up like a fifteen year old girl rather than simple allowing herself to follow her feelings and desires.

Kagome said nothing. Instead, she averted her gaze, staring down at her feet. Feeling a tinge of guilt, Inuyasha hopped up from the couch and padded off towards the kitchen.

"I'm hungry," he stated flatly, opening the fridge and staring inside. Spotting the leftovers, he snatched them out quickly, opening the container to find cold rice and curry. As if in his own home, he grabbed a plate from the cupboard, dumping the contents of the container onto it before clanking it into the microwave.

As he waited for the food to warm up, he listened intently to the buzzing sound of the microwave, trying not to focus on Kagome's awkward silence. His eyebrows were furrowed in irritation as he replayed the events of the night in his head. Not only was he somewhat… roused up from what happened, he was severely annoyed with Kagome's defensive reactions.

A shuffling sound to his left caught the hanyou's attention. Glancing in the direction of the noise without moving his head, he noticed Kagome sink into the large couch, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them in the fetal position.

Inuyasha felt another pang of guilt in his chest as he watched her somewhat saddened and distant expression. She was definitely in thought about this—probably questioning her attitude. The beep of the microwave brought Inuyasha out of his thoughts, signalling his food was ready. Grabbing the plate and 

heading towards the couch, he plopped down next to Kagome, gorging down the hot curry and rice as fast as possible.

"Umm…" began Kagome, unsure of what to say.

"Yeah, what is it?" Inuyasha asked, his mouth full of the spicy food.

Kagome looked away before speaking. "It's just… I'm sorry… for reacting the way I did. It wasn't fair of me."

"Don't worry about it," he waved off casually, still munching away.

Without warning, Kagome slid in closer to the hanyou and leaned into his chest, resting her head on his strong shoulder.

"H-hey careful!" he snapped, juggling the dish in his hands. He nearly dropped it when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his midsection, taking him by surprised.

"Is it ok… if we just stay like this tonight?" she asked in a quiet, defeated voice.

Inuyasha blinked, her suddenly timid behaviour making him uneasy. "Well, sure," he replied, as though the answer were obvious.

He felt her smile against his shoulder as she turned her head inwards to hide her face, burying it in his shirt.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

"Don't mention it," he replied gruffly after a short pause. He preferred her being feisty and playful. It made things easier for him that way; he could react on instinct, rather than having to act all nice and sensitive in response to her emotionality.

Once polishing off his plate of rice and curry, Inuyasha placed it down on the coffee table in front of him, careful not to move around too much. Kagome's breathing had become deep and even, indicating she had fallen asleep. Sliding an arm around her waste, he dipped his head down to plant a kiss on her forehead before smoothly getting up. The hanyou gently lay Kagome down on the couch, resting her head on one of the pillows. Taking the blanket from earlier, he draped it over her unconscious form, and quietly headed for the door.

_**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Sesshoumaru stared blankly at the sign that clearly read, 'Tokyo University'. Not that he could read…

However, he did know Violet Pandoro's scent—and it was definitely coming from this strange place. It was almost like a miniature city, with hundreds of bustling people scurrying around from building to building.

He received a few awkward glances, partially due to his strange appearance, and partially due to the fact that he had a small girl slung over his shoulder, and was accompanied by a toad-like creature—but for the most part, people went about their own business.

Following the scent of the young woman with violet eyes, Sesshoumaru darted through the campus, appearing as nothing but a white blur. The buildings were somewhat confusing, and thousands of different scents seemed to invade the demon's nose—yet he managed to somehow concentrate solely on his goal.

Finally reaching the destination, Sesshoumaru noted the large oak doors which stood between him and the woman he was tracking. Bursting through, he paid no heed to now large chunks of wood which clambered to the ground. A shocked murmur went through the large lecture hall, as all two hundred university students turned their heads in awe to stare at the inuyoukai.

One face however, seemed more shocked than all the rest, and it did not escape the demon lord's attention.

"Sesshoumaru!" she gasped.

_**A/N: REVIEW!!**_


	15. Shattered: Chapter 15

**_A/N: Alright no complaining! It only took like a month and a half this time XD Enjoy!!_**

**_:Shattered:  
- Chapter 15 -_**

Violet blinked; twice to be sure. A few people sitting nearby had glanced at her, mumbling oddities as their gazes darted back and forth between the university student and the strange creature that had just barged into their lecture hall. The professor, who had been standing at the front of the room, just a few metres away from Sesshoumaru, seemed completely dumbfounded as all his professional and educational knowledge flushed itself down the toilet upon seeing the demon.

"Woman." Was all that came from his mouth, yet the assertion in his tone caused every female in the room to jump. Violet however, had locked his gaze, and knew she was the one he had referred to. As she gathered her things and stood, she realized her legs felt like jelly, and her entire form shook with anxiety. Though she felt a strange contentment at seeing the mysterious, yet beautiful stranger known as Sesshoumaru, she was terrified by his powerful presence all the same.

Nearly tripping on her way down towards the front of the room, Violet managed to regain her composition by the time she reached Sesshoumaru. She noticed he carried the young girl over his shoulder just as he had the first time they had met, and the strange toad like creature was still accompanying him as well.

'I wonder where he's from?' she thought to herself as she examined the trio. 'Definitely doesn't seem of this world… if that's possible…'

Violet herself was a history and philosophy major. She had studied everything in history, philosophy, and myth that had to do with beings of worlds beyond her own. Perhaps that was why she had felt so drawn to this magnificent person—if he was a person at all.

"Let's go," Sesshoumaru commanded, turning wordlessly and almost floating out of the lecture hall. As expected, Violet followed, refusing to look back at the bewildered expressions of her classmates.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked politely, once they had exited.

Sesshoumaru paused before speaking. "I think I'll take you up on your earlier offer. Rin appears to be ill," he commented expressionlessly, his cold eyes never faltering or displaying the slightest flicker of emotion.

"Well then," Violet began, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Leave everything to me!"

**_xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

When Kagome awoke she was alone. Normally, the sound of her mother bustling in the kitchen, the smell of food, and the obnoxious rambling of her brother and grandfather would have greeted her, but this morning, there was nothing.

Rubbing her eyes furiously to wipe away the sleepiness, Kagome threw her legs over the side of the couch and stood up. Her entire body felt stiff and sore—probably from sinking so deep into the cushions of the couch and sleeping in an awkward position. Looking around, she felt as though something was missing. Though it wasn't the first time she had woken up alone without her family home, there just seemed to be something wrong with the atmosphere.

Within seconds the image of Inuyasha's face popped into Kagome's head, along with the other events of the previous night. Feeling her heart skip a beat, the realization dawned on her that the hanyou was no longer in her apartment. Feeling a pang of regret, Kagome padded her way to the kitchen to distract herself with some breakfast.

As she absently poured the milk into her cereal, she wondered where Inuyasha had run off to. Back home perhaps? Or maybe he had work… If she wasn't mistaken, today was a Monday, and therefore a workday…

…And a school day

"AH! Oh no…" Kagome groaned as she came to the realization that she had already missed her first lecture.

Bolting to her room, she gathered all things for the day, stuffed them in her bag, and sprinted off to the kitchen to wolf down the rest of her meal. Once finished, she all but threw the dish into the sink and skidded out the front door.

Not having patience for the elevator, which moved almost as slow as Souta's dead turtle, Kagome kicked the emergency door leading to the staircase, hopping down every other step.

Barely making the late morning-bus, Kagome plunked herself down in one of the empty seats, hunched over as she breathed heavily.

"Man, I really need to get myself back into shape," she gasped and wheezed as she spoke to herself. Catching her breath at last, the young woman's thoughts began to wander the whereabouts of Inuyasha as she passed the construction site where he usually worked. Staring intently, she searched for his long signature silver hair and bandana, but saw nothing of the sort. Sighing to herself, Kagome hung her head in despair.

"I hope I didn't chase him off…" she sighed again, despair settling in.

"Chase who off, Kagome?"

"WHA!" Kagome spun around, coming eye to eye with Yuka, who surprisingly, was not with Eri and Ayumi. "Yuka! W-what are you doing here?" she asked nervously.

"Going to school, silly! What else what I be doing? And what are YOU doing, Kagome? I haven't seen you in class forever!" the other raven-haired woman retorted.

"Uhm, well… I've been sick… you know how… weak my immune system is," Kagome stammered, struggling for an excuse for her absence… not to mention the neglect of her friends.

Yuka blinked. "You're sick? Don't tell me it's like back in high school when you missed almost the entire semester!"

"No, no!" Kagome replied quickly, waving her hands in front of her. "It was just a bad viral infection is all!" she lied through her teeth. Hearing the bus come to a halt at her stop, Kagome quickly gathered her things and bolted away from Yuka. "Gotta go, see you later!" she yelled over her shoulder as she exited.

As Kagome sprinted towards the building in which her class was held, she noticed a giant blob of white crossing campus. She immediately recognized the mass of fluff as Sesshoumaru's pelt—and to her shock, it wasn't alone. Accompanying the large demon was a young woman about Kagome's age, and of course the usual entourage of Jaken. She noticed Rin, casually slumped over Sesshoumaru's shoulder, looking rather unconscious.

Kagome felt the urge to stop and run over to the group and inquire as to what was going on. However, she has a crucial lecture to attend for a class she had already missed significantly enough of. Shaking her head and chasing away the guilt, Kagome turned her eyes back toward her destination. All this running would at least get her back into decent shape.

Bursting through the doors of the building and whipping around the hallway corner, Kagome dashed towards the entrance of the lecture hall. Once inside, she realized she had arrived just in time, noting the professor preparing his lecture notes at the front of the class. Exasperated, she let out a sigh of relief. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for a familiar face to sit beside. A yellow and black bandana caught her eye, along with a pair of piercing amber eyes and long, tousled silver hair.

"I-Inuyasha?!" she ground out.

Noticing her shocked expression, the hanyou grinned shamelessly at her, propping his legs up on the seat in front of him, despite the fact that someone occupied it. Crossing his arms over his chest, he cocked his head, as if to indicate he had saved her a spot next to him.

Cringing, Kagome trotted up the steps and through ten people to reach Inuyasha, who had conveniently picked a seat in the middle of the row. Plopping herself down in the seat next to the hanyou, rather roughly one might add, Kagome slouched, turning her head to glare at him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed under her breath, her eyes darting back and forth as if to evaluate whether or not they were receiving any peculiar stares.

"Just checkin' out the class," he replied casually, shifting his arms so that they rested behind his head.

"W-what? Inuyasha!" Kagome began.

"All these people are making my sense of smell go funny," he added, wrinkling his nose while completely ignoring the comments of a very irate young woman.

"Seriously, Inuyasha! This isn't a joke! If you get me into trouble I'll fail! Or worse, I'll get kicked out! So much for my college education!" she ranted on, mostly to herself.

"I caught a whiff of Sesshoumaru's sent," he said suddenly. "That's why I came here. But as soon as I got stuck in this huge crowd of people, my nose got confused and I lost the bastard."

Kagome stopped her drabbling. "Oh." Then it clicked. "I saw him, actually. He was with Rin, Jaken, and some girl I've never seen before. She seemed like a student here."

"What?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, sitting up and removing his feet from the seat in front of him. "He was with a human?!

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, and for some reason, Rin was still unconscious. He was carrying the poor girl over his shoulder like last time."

Inuyasha's eyebrows furrowed. "Something's not right here. Why would Sesshoumaru be with a human? He hates humans! And if he needed to know something, wouldn't he just come to one of us? Though knowing that guy, he'd never go to anyone for help, even in the midst of a completely different era he has no clue about!"

"Yeah, you're right," Kagome agreed. "He's not really the type to ask for help… but then again…" she looked thoughtful for a moment.

"What?"

"Maybe it's because of Rin… I mean, he does care for her. I'm sure he wouldn't risk her life for the sake of his pride."

"Keh!" Inuyasha snorted. "Sesshoumaru would sacrifice his reproductive organs if it meant keeping his pride!"

Kagome wrinkled her nose. "That was totally not necessary…"

"Oh please, nothing you haven't encountered before."

"W-what??"

"Male reproductive organs…"

"Excuse me!" a voice interrupted.

Kagome and Inuyasha's heads both snapped forward.

"I'm trying to give a lecture here! If you two insist on disrupting this educational environment, then please leave! People here are interested in learning!" the professor all but barked.

Inuyasha's eyes sparkled with irritation.

"And you!"

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow in response.

"Yes, you! No bandanas allowed in class! Remove that immediately!" the balding older man ordered.

"I just had a hair transplant," Inuyasha replied sarcastically, staring at the professor's shining scalp.

A few giggles echoed through the room at this comment, causing the already irritated professor to glower dangerously at the hanyou.

"Who do you think you are, young man?!" he snapped, gritting his teeth together.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed into slits.

"A messenger of chaos," he whispered dangerously.

**_xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

"Right this way," Violet said, leading Sesshoumaru out of the university campus and down the street. "There's a paediatrician's office just around the corner here. He'll take good care of Rin."

Sesshoumaru said nothing.

"I've actually always wanted to be a paediatrician… but I don't think I have the talent or the work ethic to go through with all the schooling," she continued.

"Stop your blabbering, and get us to this doctor!" Jaken commanded in his toad-like voice.

"R-right!" Violet stammered. "Sorry…"

"Jaken…" came Sesshoumaru's cool voice.

"Yes, my Lord?" Jaken immediately replied, turning to face Sesshoumaru like a dog running to its master. Suddenly, he felt a rather hard object connect with his face. It was shaped somewhat like a shoe; Sesshoumaru's shoe to be more precise.

Violet suddenly stopped, opening the door to a small unit of a large building.

"This way," she said, entering.

Sesshoumaru scanned the room. It reeked of children and sickness. The entire place was covered in wallpaper illustrating strange child-like images. An elderly man approaching caught his attention.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" the elderly figure asked, his eyes on the unconscious Rin.

"Dr. Shiroya," began Violet.

"Oh, my! Violet, it's you… what brings you here today?" The man known as Dr. Shiroya exclaimed in surprise.

"I need you to take a look at this girl, if you would please, Doctor," answered Violet, pointing to Rin. "She's been sick with fever, and unconscious for quite some time. It seems she's experiencing some kind of shock since she arrived here a few days ago."

"Never been to Tokyo, eh?" Shiroya turned to the demon lord.

Sesshoumaru shook his head in reply.

"I see…" the doctor ignored the strange behaviour. "I presume this young lass is your… daughter?" he asked cautiously.

Jaken was about to erupt at the doctor's words. The idea of a human child like Rin being blood-related to Sesshoumaru—just the implication of it—was completely insolent and ridiculous.

"Yes," the dog demon replied monotonously, effectively shutting up Jaken before he could make a scene.

Jaken gave his master an incredulous look, but kept silent. He would never question Sesshoumaru.

"Please, let me take a look at her," the doctor said politely. "Bring her into the exam room," he added, as he turned to walk into the examination area.

Sesshoumaru followed along with Violet and Jaken. Once inside, he placed Rin on the exam bed.

Dr. Shiroya placed a pair of latex gloves over his hands. He checked Rin's temperature, heart rate, breathing, and examined her eyes, nose and ears. Gently, he applied pressure around her abdomen and pelvic area, checking for swelling or injuries. All seemed in tact.

"Well," he began, "other than her very high fever and somewhat elevated heart rate, she seems to be in good health. It would appear she has caught a viral infection, possibly something she has not yet been immunized to."

Sesshoumaru stared blankly. He didn't understand much except for the words 'fever', and 'infection'.

"So she is sick?" he asked almost rhetorically.

"Tell me, sir, has Rin had her shots?" the doctor asked.

Sesshoumaru paused once more. He had no idea what those were, but figured Rin didn't have them, seeing they were from another era.

"No," he replied simply.

The doctor's eyes widened slightly, somewhat surprised. "Are you from the countryside?" he asked.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru responded automatically, knowing it was probably the best answer.

"Ahh I see, that's probably why then." The doctor looked somewhat relieved. "Well, it's quite simple, I'm happy to say. I'll just give Rin her vaccinations, and some antibiotics to avoid any secondary bacterial infections. She should be fine in no time at all!"

The demon lord really didn't know what the old coot was drabbling about, but he figured he knew what he was saying.

"I understand," he said coolly as he watched the practitioner dab Rin's arm with an alcohol swab, then prick the spot with a syringe containing what he presumed to be the vaccination. He then handed Sesshoumaru a small bottle of tiny blue pills.

"These here are the antibiotics I'm prescribing Rin. I want you to give her one of these every eight hours for the next week. There's enough in there for ten days in case you lose some. Just get her to swallow them with water. They're quite small, so it shouldn't be too difficult," Shiyora explained while Sesshoumaru listened intently.

"I understand," he repeated. "Thank you."

Silently, he lifted Rin off the examination bed, and carried her out of the office.

"E-eh, hey!" Violet called after them. "Um, thank you so much Dr. Shiyora!" she quickly bowed before running after the demon lord and his entourage.

As Sesshoumaru walked out of the building, he felt the young girl in his arms stir.

"Rin?"

Rin squinted, lifting her hand to her face in an attempt to blot out the sun.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" she asked weakly. "Where are we?"

"In the new era," he replied.

"Really?!" she said a little more excitedly this time.

"Don't speak Rin," Sesshoumaru commanded. "You're ill. You need rest. We're going to find a place where you can sleep and take your medicine."

Rin smiled, tears gathering in her large, chocolate brown eyes.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru."

**_A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it! Next chapter you get to find out what happens when a balding university professor pisses off Inuyasha with his yellow bandana XDPlease Read and Review!!_**


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